Lone Traveler: Here Comes the Marine
by dunuelos
Summary: The Lone Traveler visits a Universe where surprises lead to a far different upbringing than most wizards would have. Sirius is close, but Harry gets a new Mum and Dad.
1. The Lack of Common Sense

A/N: This is completely the product of reading an NCIS/HP Crossover which had plot holes that you could drop Hagrid through. Nevertheless, the idea of a Gibbs-raised Harry is very attractive. He'd be far less manipulate-able. He'd also be far less silly.

So, I asked myself: How could you close the plot-holes and make them somewhat believable? There are quite a few fan-fic clichés built in to this mini-story, but I've tried to answer HOW as much as I can. If you think it's crap – oh well. Too bad. So Sad.

I WILL say that this arc will be several chapters. My muse is quiet on my other stories but this appealed to me. It will take a couple chapters to show how NCIS crosses over though.

I have decided to make it a separate story because it will have about eight chapters or so and that's a bit long for the Lone Traveler thread.

* * *

_"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

_'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

_FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional _

Harry looked around at the location of his latest Traveling location. He recognized it and shuddered a bit. No matter what he saw and where he visited, he could never forget the horrible feelings he had for this neighborhood.

It was Little Whinging, Surrey.

Looking around, it was very hard to determine exactly WHEN he had arrived. Privet Drive looked so uniform and unchanging, that it was difficult to determine. There were spells to determine time, but they often were a bit wonky for him unless he spent a decent amount of time in a particular universe. And different universes had different timelines, so it was difficult to actually say that if he knew the date that he'd have an accurate gauge of the timeline. He'd have to look around.

He ducked into the park behind a stand of trees that were still there (it had to be earlier than when he was 8 – his favorite "hiding from Dudley" trees had burned down in a lightning storm when he was in primary) and cast a disillusionment charm on himself.

He carefully made his way toward his childhood home - or the alternate anyway. He looked at it. He really never liked this house.

He noticed that Vernon's car wasn't in the driveway. He was likely at work. He looked around and saw that the cars around looked to be … early 1980s? Mid 1980s? His dimensional twin was likely still too young to go to school. Or maybe had just started?

He snuck to the window and looked in. Petunia Dursley was in the kitchen, cooking. He didn't see his alternate, so it was possible that he was in the cupboard or being forced to watch Dudley play with toys he wasn't allowed to touch.

Suddenly, he heard a car and turned. He saw a much younger version of his Uncle. He didn't look happy. That was never a good sign.

He pulled into the drive and, his irritation obvious, got out of his car. His briefcase stuck momentarily and Vernon Dursley cursed. It was quiet enough that it wouldn't be heard by neighbours – but Harry Traveler was closer than the neighbours' houses. Finally the briefcase pulled free and Vernon slammed the car door.

He suddenly stopped himself at the very loud sound and looked around. It was obvious he wanted to make sure the neighbours didn't see poor behaviour. Seeing that there was no one (visible) looking, he sighed in relief and visibly calmed himself with a deep breath. Vernon Dursley then marched himself to the door and moved inside.

Harry cast a charm which made surfaces pass sound more easily.

"Pet! I need a drink!" Vernon threw himself into his easy chair.

"Coming, Vernon!" Petunia quickly poured a double-shot of whisky and took it out to her husband. His eyes lit up at the sight.

"Thank God for you, Pet. I've had a perfectly terrible day and I need something to take my mind off of it!" He grabbed the glass and took a large gulp. He then closed his eyes, obviously feeling the liquid going down.

"What's wrong, Vernon?"

Vernon took a look at his wife and then took another sip. "Bloody Labour Party Communist busy-bodies! The most recent board members have gotten on some bloody tear about 'treating the employees better.' We've got quotas to fill and I'm supposed to get them filled. I was telling the men they had to stay late and get the paperwork finished and set up for tomorrow, just using a good, strong voice mind you, and what does the new manager do? He says," Vernon's voice took on a mockingly polite tone, "'You don't need to shout at them, Dursley. It's the end of the day, Dursley. They have to be allowed their personal time, Dursley.'"

Vernon took another drink and said, "We had a good Tory at the helm and things were going fine! But those idiots decided he was 'too harsh.' Bloody idiots, if you ask me."

Petunia gave a few sympathetic noises and said, "Well finish your drink and supper will be ready soon. It's a nice roast and your favorite pudding for desert."

Vernon nodded in satisfaction and continued to sip his drink. Soon Petunia brought a second one and Vernon happily exchanged glasses.

Harry watched this scene with some interest. Although his alternate's uncle seemed … well, an arse … he didn't seem to be the bully that Harry had grown up with.

Harry watched as Petunia set the table. He noticed that she actually set four places. Petunia set a large portion for Vernon, a small portion for herself, a medium size portion where Dudley always sat and another small portion for where he sat when he ate with his relatives. She poured water for herself and Vernon and milk for the two places for the children.

This seemed decidedly odd to him. He didn't remember his own Aunt Petunia so easily setting such a meal for him when he was a small child.

She went to the stairs and called, "Wash up, Duddikens!" She moved to the cupboard and knocked – fairly politely – and said, "Wash up. Supper is ready."

He saw is dimensional alternate come out, move to the lavatory, and come back out two minutes later. He looked to be … 3? 4?

He heard a thundering sound and saw a similarly aged Dudley rushing down the stairs. Petunia said, "Don't rush, Diddikums! You could hurt yourself!"

He watched as the four sat down to eat. While Petunia and Dudley seemed to be included in the conversation, little Harry was almost ignored. When Harry spilled a little milk, he saw his Aunt look over suddenly and say, "Use the napkin, boy!" Harry quickly wiped the spill up and went back to eating.

Vernon, who had brought his second drink back from the sitting room, shook his head at his nephew. He mumbled something but the Traveler couldn't hear it from so far away.

Dudley apparently didn't like that his parents were paying attention to Harry and not him because as soon as they looked back to their meal, the Traveler saw Dudley kick Harry – causing him to spill much more than the first time.

Petunia shrieked a bit in annoyance. "Boy! Be more careful!" She got up and brought a rag back and handed it to Harry. "Clean that up!" Harry started cleaning it up but accidentally pushed some milk from the puddle on the table onto the floor.

Petunia watched him and said, "Why are you being so obnoxious and spilling the milk?" She looked really annoyed.

Little Harry finally had enough and said, "Dudey kick me!"

Dudley said, "No! I eating!" Neither parent saw the smirk the boy had.

Vernon said loudly, "You'll not blame Dudley for your mistakes! Clean that up quickly!" It was obvious that Vernon had had a bit too much alcohol.

Harry started protesting but Vernon stood up and towered over him. "Boy! Shut your yap and clean that up now!"

Harry looked quite frightened and suddenly Vernon was _pushed_ backwards. Petunia screamed a bit and even Dudley was shocked when his father stumbled.

Suddenly there was a loud crack and Albus Dumbledore stood in front of the house. Harry Traveler watched as Dumbledore quickly magicked his way inside and called loudly, "What is going on?"

Petunia pointed to Harry and then Vernon but was so incoherent that no real words came out.

Harry said loudly, "He scare me!"

Albus looked at the scene and said to Vernon, "You would threaten the boy? Well, we'll just have to keep him away from you." Albus pulled his wand and was about to cast when the Traveler felt he had seen enough.

He called out loudly, "STOP!"

Everyone in the room stopped and looked to see exactly where the voice was coming from. Harry Traveler quickly cast a notice-me-not charm so the neighbours would ignore him and the house and then removed his disillusionment charm as he walked inside.

He didn't give anyone time to comment. "What are you doing, Dumbledore? What spell were you about to cast?"

Albus looked at the new arrival and wanted to ask who he was, but the confidence the new arrival showed kind of threw him off. "I was going to cast a compulsion charm so that that man would send Harry to his room instead of allowing him to take his violence out on a small child! It's for Harry's protection!"

Harry Traveler looked at Albus with some horror. It was quite obvious that the lack of common sense that the wizarding world was famous for was in full bloom.

"You're an idiot!" Albus, as well as the Dursleys (Vernon had taken the opportunity to get up and was obviously torn between being frightened and being angry), looked at the new arrival with some shock.

"Vernon, while being just a bit too much in his cups due to a bad day, was not being physically violent. He was being a bit threatening. Harry felt a bit scared and performed accidental magic. It wasn't really needed but – how old is he?"

Petunia, who had calmed a very little bit, said nervously, "He's 4."

Harry Traveler nodded. "He's 4. So he misunderstood. And then you come in here assuming the worst and decide to try to fix it with magic without getting the whole story."

The two boys were watching this with some fear – and some fascination. Petunia looked to be terrified. Vernon looked a bit confused – and surly. He really wanted to yell but this new man seemed to be defending him so he decided to shut up and listen.

Albus looked at the visitor and finally asked the question he wanted to ask initially. "Who are you? Have you come to harm the boy? How did you get past the blood-wards?" Albus' aura became visible and said, "I won't allow anyone to threaten the boy!"

Harry Traveler looked at Albus with some incredulity. MERLIN, this Albus was an idiot. "My name is Harry James Potter and I'm visiting from an alternate dimension. I am also known as the Lone Traveler."

Albus suddenly stared at the Traveler in shock. Vernon and Petunia were also staring. The two boys looked confused – they weren't totally following the conversation.

Harry Traveler said to Vernon, "This is a sobering charm – it will help up resolve this faster." Harry cast the charm.

Albus saw that the Traveler was casting the proper charm.

"I'm going to cast a sleep spell so that the two children don't get too confused. It won't hurt them."

Petunia wanted to protest but wizards terrified her and she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Harry cast a sleeping charm on his alternate first and then Dudley. Both loudly yawned and their eyes dropped shut.

Harry Traveler quickly moved to ensure they didn't fall. "Vernon, please take Dudley to the sitting room – he's a bit big for Petunia to carry. I'll carry the alternate me."

Petunia and Vernon both rushed to Dudley and saw that indeed his was just sleeping. Vernon, now sober, picked Dudley up carefully and took him to the sitting room just as Harry requested. Petunia moved with him checking her son as thoroughly as she could. Harry carried his alternate quietly after them.

Albus moved quietly after the group, wondering exactly what was happening. He was being cautious, however, as he really didn't want to see his young charge harmed.

Vernon and Harry both put their burdens down on the couch. Petunia put a small pillow under Dudley's head and put a throw blanket from the couch over him.

Harry just conjured similar items for his alternate self. As he stood up to address the others, there was a knock at the door.

Harry grabbed his wand and went to the door. There were two Ministry Obliviators standing there. "What are you doing here?"

Both were shocked that the man in front of them was obviously a wizard. "Our equipment showed magic in a muggle neighbourhood."

Harry motioned the two inside and then pointed at Dumbledore. "The Chief Warlock is on the scene as well as another adult wizard. I put up notice-me-not charms so the neighbours won't notice anything. Your services are not required."

One of the two nodded but the other protested. "Standard procedure is to obliviate."

Harry, with some heat, said, "There is a young wizard in residence. The 'Muggles' are the caregivers and both know about magic already as her," he pointed to Petunia, "sister was a witch. We're already taking care of the accidental magic. So, once again, your services are not required."

The two looked at Dumbledore and he nodded. Both turned back and said, "Well, apologies then for disturbing you."

Harry said, "While I know it's your job, please be a bit more thorough in getting the details. You could have caused much harm with random obliviations."

Neither looked happy at the comment but neither felt confident enough to argue in front of Dumbledore and so they attempted to apparate away.

Albus said, "There are anti-apparatition wards up here that you have to be keyed into. You'll have to leave to apparate, just as you had to walk here."

Harry said, "The notice-me-not only goes to the property line so be careful. And mark this as a family that knows about magic so that you don't make mistakes in the future."

Both nodded sourly and left.

Once the two left, Harry looked at the other adults and said, "I'd say let's take this back to the dining area."

The Dursleys quietly moved as requested and the two wizards followed.

It had been close to the end of the meal, so the mess that was left was unneeded. Harry quickly performed a couple of household charms to clean up. Both Dursleys were a bit frightened, but neither so much so they were irrational. "Why don't you serve yourselves the pudding while we talk this out?"

Petunia nervously served a large portion for Vernon but took none for herself. She was about to ask if the wizards wanted any but Harry noticed and said, "While I thank you for your manners – you're obviously far better than the Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon I grew up with – neither one of us needs refreshment at the moment." Petunia nodded abruptly and sat down.

The adults had all sat down. Vernon quietly ate the pudding and watched to see exactly what was going on. Petunia drank her tea and did the same.

Harry turned to Albus. "Now, as I pointed out, you overreacted and were about to make a big mistake."

Albus protested. "I was only ensuring that that man didn't hit the boy. I can't have the boy-who-lived being beaten by muggles!"

Harry acerbically said, "The Dursleys were neither one of them about to beat Harry. Vernon was annoyed and Harry was scared, but it was a simple accident – not an assault. You completely overreacted."

Vernon had calmed down quite a bit and the pudding had calmed him even more. He interjected, "The very idea that I would beat such a small boy is absurd! I might not like him or his kind, but I'm not a monster!" Petunia nodded in agreement with her husband.

Albus, who finally looked a bit sheepish, said, "I do apologize for any error in judgement but I am very concerned that Harry remain safe."

Harry grumbled. All three of the adults looked at him. "You know, I think that my Aunt and Uncle I grew up with might be due an apology for a well-meaning busybody completely overreacting. I grew up with adults who always sent me to my cupboard whenever they were angry – but that might have been a compulsion charm." He looked at Albus. "I'll have you know if that's true – that compulsion charm led me to being starved at times because I was often sent to my cupboard for days at a time."

Albus' face became angry. "Cupboard?"

"My bedroom."

He turned to the Dursleys. "Is Harry kept in a cupboard?" Albus voice was filled with anger.

Petunia was defensive. "He refused the small bedroom upstairs! Whenever we tried to move him he cried and screamed incessantly! I will not force a 4 year old boy into such terror. While it's small, it's quite large enough for the moment."

Before Albus could reply, Harry said, "Can we see it?"

Petunia threw down the napkin she had been crinkling in her nervousness and moved to open the cupboard.

Harry and Albus both looked inside. The cupboard was small – but Petunia had been right. For a 4 year old boy, there was sufficient room. The small bed had clean sheets and there was a shelf for clothes – and not Dudley's recent cast offs. They were obviously properly sized for normal four year old.

"We were planning on having him move to the small bedroom upstairs when he turned five. By then, he might be less afraid," Petunia said.

Albus nodded. "Once again, I apologize for making assumptions." He looked chagrined that, once again, he had assumed badly.

Harry motioned the adults to follow him. "Well, Headmaster, let me tell you about my childhood." Harry's story horrified the three adults who were listening. Vernon and Petunia both were as horrified – or more – as Albus Dumbledore was.

"And, looking back, it's just as likely that all of that was the product of an ill-advised compulsion charm!" Harry was very angry as he thought about what he had lived through.

Vernon turned his own anger at the Headmaster. "You bloody idiot! What right do you have to do your hocus-pocus on us? That's the problem with you people! Taking the easy way out and not using any common sense. And you wonder why decent people like us don't like your kind?"

Harry interrupted Vernon before he could get on a much longer rant. "While Vernon is a bit of an arse," the Dursleys both looked annoyed at that, "in this case – he's right." The two Dursleys looked far less annoyed. "I'm sure if you think about it honestly, wizards and witches tend to lose their common sense by deciding that magic is the answer for everything." The Dursleys looks changed to mild satisfaction.

Albus looked quite old and very chagrined as he listened to the upbraiding he was getting from the two men. He sighed. "You are likely quite right. We live so long and magic makes up so much of our lives that a different approach is quite foreign to us. Perhaps we need to relearn reason."

Harry himself sighed and said, "Don't beat yourself up too bad. We prevented it here. But we definitely need to talk about some things while I am here."

Albus nodded and then stood. He bowed to his hosts. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, I once again wish to offer my most humble apologies for the mistakes I have made as regards your family. I will most likely make more but I will attempt to avoid it."

Vernon and Petunia both nodded in acknowledgement.

Harry also stood. "I will ensure any improper spells are clear and then I will leave with the Headmaster. I think it will be likely that either he or I – or both of us – will be back to discuss things further. But you've already provided a decent amount of hospitality and I think we should quickly finish and be on our way."

Petunia was much warmer toward Harry than she was toward the Headmaster. "While I am sorry that you suffered such a childhood, I am happy to see that at least one version of my nephew has learned common sense instead of falling into the poor judgments that magic seems to bring. You," she emphasized it a little and seemed to deliberately NOT include Albus Dumbledore, "are welcome to come back so that we can talk properly."

Harry nodded and thanked her. He cast several detection charms and, once he was certain there were no improper spells present, he told the Dursleys they were clear.

Petunia nodded in thanks and Vernon even shook his hand. He quietly said, "Sort them out if you can. Bloody idiots"

Harry was both surprised at how Vernon treated him vs. Albus – and quite amused.

The two made their way out. Albus turned to Harry. "So, to Hogwarts? I believe we have some things to talk about and I can possibly put you up while you are here."

Harry nodded. "That's fine. Your magic or mine?"

Albus, ever curious, said with some interest, "Yours will do."

Harry nodded and grabbed Albus' elbow. He used his not-apparition Traveling skill to take them to Hogwarts.


	2. Ugly Truths

AN: Yes, there's a bit of Cutesy crap and the Weasleys are involved – even though they are almost completely uninvolved otherwise. Some readers HATE them and some LOVE them. I take them as the story gives them. This one has a few cutesy items but nothing more. And that's only to catch Pettigrew.

_"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

_'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

_FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional _

* * *

Albus looked around and saw that they were in his office at Hogwarts. He checked himself over and saw that there was nothing out of place. He turned to Harry and said, "That was astounding! There was no sensation at all. How did you do that?"

Harry, who had moved to sit down in a chair in the office, replied, "It's something I've picked up in my Traveling. Originally it was unconscious, but I've got a handle on it now."

Albus Dumbledore twinkled as he sat down. "Well, it was intriguing." He paused and then continued, "Now to the matter at hand."

Harry sat up. "Yes, the matter at hand. Why the hell did you just start casting instead of actually investigating?"

Albus sighed. "Recently, a number of accused followers of Voldemort managed to get themselves cleared of wrongdoing. Mostly low level followers. But I have been concerned that Harry might be targeted. I have been a bit, as they say, on edge."

Harry looked at Albus Dumbledore and could see that such an explanation might be possible. "It's funny. The Dumbledore I knew was always preaching temperance in judgment and forgiveness. To see you being somewhat active is a bit of a surprise."

Albus looked at his visitor with some interest. "I will admit that such is my normal philosophy. I am curious as to how it worked."

Harry gave Albus the gimlet eye. "A mixed bag. The positive effects, however, were far overshadowed by the negative. Your alternate's pacifistic, hands-off tendencies left far too many of Tom Riddle's supporters free and clear and unchallenged. Far too many deaths occurred because of that. Far too many abuses were left unchecked."

Albus looked a bit stunned. "How so?"

Harry sat back pensively. "Well, for starters, your lack of proper supervision of Hogwarts allowed both incompetent and abusive professors. Severus Snape comes to mind."

Dumbledore immediately protested. "Severus has my utmost trust."

Harry almost growled. "While I greatly respect most versions of Snape, there is no question he is HIGHLY unqualified to teach in many circumstances."

"He's a Potions Master! The youngest ever! You would be hard pressed to find a more qualified Potioneer."

"Yes. He's a Master. And quite skilled. Both in Potions and Defense. But he has no patience for simple mistakes that new students often make. He has no patience to explain details. My first lesson was 'Instructions are on the board!' After he singled me out to answer several questions that a new student normally couldn't hope to answer and lambasting me for my 'Celebrity.'"

Albus sighed. "Well, he and your father didn't get along. It's quite understandable."

This time Harry did growl. "He was a grown man of 31. And I was effectively a muggleborn of 11 just starting. I had no knowledge of my parents, just learned I was a wizard, just learned of my unasked for fame, and at that point didn't even remember my parents at all. What excuse does such a man have for abusing a child in those circumstances? What excuse is there for punishing a child for the sins of his father? Why should such a child be subjected to a Professor insulting a dead man to his son's face? You refused to allow the children of Death Eaters to be penalized, so why should a child of heroes be abused?"

During this rant, Professor Dumbledore had become paler and paler. Finally, he sighed and once again looked much older and more defeated. "You are absolutely correct. There is not any excuse for such behaviour."

Harry nodded. "And the fact that he was Head of Slytherin meant he protected them – even when they were in the wrong. And abused every other House. I'm all for a Head of House being protective, but my own had to be Deputy too – and therefore neutral. Very bad management in my opinion."

Dumbledore sighed again. "Do you have any other critiques?"

Harry once again became thoughtful. "Well, your tendency to hold secrets led to many, many defeats for those on the side of justice. I spent third year being tortured by dementors and completely unprepared because my innocent godfather escaped from Azkaban. No one would tell me anything, which meant I got myself in far too many scuffles from lack of information."

Albus looked alarmed. "Innocent godfather? Who was your godfather?"

"Sirius Black."

Albus looked stunned. "He's innocent?"

Harry nodded. "At least he was back home. Pettigrew framed him and escaped. Cut off his own finger to fake his death after he killed the twelve muggles. Sirius was a bit grief-stricken after his best friend was killed because Pettigrew was made secret-keeper. And the Chief Warlock and Headmaster got me to help him escape when he was caught a second time – but didn't use his authority to demand Sirius get the trial he never had. He was killed two years later by Bellatrix Lestrange without his name getting cleared."

Albus, by this time, had bowed his head and was holding it as though attempting to prevent it from coming apart.

"And then of course keeping me in the dark until there was no other choice meant that the Death Eaters took control of the Ministry for a year – two years after Voldemort got resurrected. The muggleborns were treated to the same fate that the Jews suffered under Hitler. I don't think I even know how many were killed by either being tortured or kissed. Several hundreds if not thousands."

Finally Albus Dumbledore had had enough. "STOP!" he screamed. Harry, who had been watching, just stopped talking and watched the man in front of him.

Suddenly, phoenix song began drifting throughout the room. Neither man had noticed Fawkes coming back from wherever he had been. It was obvious that the Headmaster's familiar was trying to soothe the two men. Both watched as Fawkes flew around the room singing.

Finally, when both were calm, Fawkes landed in front of Dumbledore and watched him. Albus gave the bird a small smile and reached out to caress him. "Thank you, Fawkes. I needed that."

Fawkes trilled and then turned toward the visitor. Harry had a small smile as well as he said, "Hello, Fawkes. I'm sorry I had to do that – I took no joy in it. I just want to prevent tragedies in the future."

Fawkes hopped over to the armrest of the chair and nuzzled Harry and trilled again before moving back to his perch.

Albus, upon seeing this, gave a rueful smile. "If that didn't tell me that you weren't being deliberately malicious, nothing else would." He paused and then said, "What would you have me do?"

* * *

Molly was sitting at her kitchen table, knitting. Percy and the twins were outside – Percy was keeping an eye on the two troublemakers who were perfectly content with playing in the mud. The two youngest were inside, playing with toys. Luckily, Ron wasn't yet old enough for the "girls aren't good playmates" stage and so was perfectly content with Ginny. She sighed because she knew that it was only one or two years off if her older boys were any indication.

Although the family was not well off, they were comfortable for the moment. They likely weren't going to feel the strain of so many children going to Hogwarts until twins were sent. It worried her a bit.

Suddenly, she noticed movement from the corner of her eye and looked up. Her husband's hand on her clock went from "Work" to "Traveling." She wondered where he was going. It soon moved to "Home" and she was surprised. Why would Arthur be home in the middle of the day on a Thursday?

She heard her sons call out, "Dad!" and "Daddy!." He must have apparated instead of his usual flooing. The two youngest had heard the cries and looked at the door expectantly.

Soon her husband was coming in with the three boys following closely. The two youngest abandoned their toys to join in the crowding around the man. Molly smiled as Arthur took the time to interact with each child.

Arthur was a very good father.

She looked at his face, though, and could see that there was some hidden strain. She waited a couple more minutes until the children were calmer and then said, "Children! Go wash up. Make sure you clean behind your ears! If you all are thorough, I'll let you have the cake this afternoon instead of after dinner." Arthur's grateful look told her she was right in sending them off. They often used this trick if Arthur needed to speak to Molly without the kids – and it was perfect for Arthur's plans.

The children all rushed off upstairs, all screaming to get in the bathroom first. Arthur waited until all were gone and then looked around. Finally, Molly's patience wore thin. "Why are you home so early? Is there something wrong at the Ministry?"

Arthur shook his head. "Nothing like that. I just had a very … strange meeting with the Headmaster and another wizard. I decided I needed to take the afternoon off."

Molly's worry didn't decrease. "Is it Bill or Charlie?"

Arthur smiled ruefully. Molly definitely cared for the children. "No, no! They're both fine! Really – I just got some startling news and felt the need to take some time to spend with the family. Sometimes, a man just needs some personal time."

Molly was slightly mollified. "Well, if you're certain. I'll get details after the children are in bed tonight." She gave a small smile he recognized as she quietly followed that with, "And I'll make certain you're happy." Despite his inner worry, his wife's invitation definitely put a smile on his face.

There was a reason they had so many children.

Soon, there was a thundering sound as the five children began rushing down. They all lined up in front of the two parents.

Molly smiled and said, "Okay. I'll have to check to make certain you all have washed up properly before I get the cake."

As expected, one of the twins yelled. "No!"

The other said, "Daddy can do that!"

"Daddy's thorough!" It was a word the two had learned just for this circumstance

"Very thorough!"

"So you can get the cake ready!" Both twins said this last part in unison.

Molly put her head to her chin and thoughtfully said, "Weeeeellll … I GUESS I can trust him to do it right."

All of the children nodded solemnly. Molly smiled and said, "Okay. But you better all be clean!" The children all watched as she made her way to the pantry and closed the door.

This was a game the kids loved to play. Molly was very thorough about checking. But Arthur would use magic to get anything they missed. And because they liked seeing magic so much, the children often "missed" little spots so that they could see him use the cleaning spell.

Arthur pointedly looked to make certain Molly wasn't visible and stage-whispered, "Okay! She's gone. Let's be quick!"

Molly was actually just standing in the Pantry waiting for the little game to play out. This wasn't all that uncommon. The kids heard Molly say, "Lumos! Now where exactly did I put that cake?"

The children all giggled. (The oldest one, Percy, recognized that it was make-believe but he remembered how much he loved it when he was younger and so hadn't spoiled it for the others. He had promised Bill when he had learned the truth last year.)

Arthur put his finger in front of his mouth for quiet and all of the children nodded. The youngest two put their hands in front of their mouths to hide their giggles.

* * *

Peter Pettigrew listened to the Weasleys from Percy's pockets. This was a game he had learned about when he had first hidden here. He use to worry. A grown wizard sending spells at him to "make certain he was clean" was terrifying at first. But it happened so often now that he barely registered it.

This game always ended up with him getting fed choice morsels from the boy. He sometimes was kept hidden in Percy's pocket, but more often than not "had to fed in his cage." He wasn't worried. He was looking forward to a bit of unexpected cake.

* * *

Arthur had carefully scourgified the four youngest. Percy, as was his habit, was perfectly clean – but Scabbers had to be taken care of. Arthur stage-whispered, "Oh! Mum won't let him at the table like that!"

The boys heard Molly say as though to herself, "This is really a gorgeous cake. It looks so tasty."

Percy was really a kind boy and so whispered back, "I'll get the cage! He can eat in there!"

All of the children nodded. Arthur paused and then stage-whispered, "Hurry!"

Percy rushed upstairs even as the Pantry door opened. Molly came out carrying the cake. "Where's Percy? Doesn't he want cake?"

Ron piped up, "He get Scabb's cage!"

Molly made an an understanding face. "Ooooohh. Okay." She looked at Arthur and said with some mock-seriousness, "Were they all clean? Do they deserve cake?"

Arthur said solemnly, "They're all clean."

Molly nodded and said, "Okay. To the table!" She marched off toward the table.

All conspirators feel satisfaction when the conspiracy bears fruit – or, in this case, cake. The children giggled in this satisfaction because they all knew that they were NOW clean and so Daddy hadn't lied at all and Mummy never caught it.

Percy rushed back, Scabbers in his cage, and the children all made their way to the kitchen. Arthur said, "Oh! We need to clean his cage! That will take time."

Molly hemmed and said, "Weeeelll .. I guess you can use a spell to clean it. But next time by hand, Percy!" Percy nodded solemnly and then almost giggled himself – even though he felt he was getting too old for such childishness. (His dad didn't giggle and he so much wanted to appear older.)

* * *

Peter watched as Arthur took his wand and cast the scourgify charm. He really liked this game because although he didn't like the cage, Molly insisted and Percy often left the cage wet. A good scourgify was more comfortable. He closed his eyes in contentment as he burrowed into the now clean bits at the bottom of the cage. Percy was really good about nice bedding.

He never noticed the wordless unbreakable charm that Arthur snuck past his children when they were distracted by their mother dramatically cutting the cake.

* * *

Molly was very curious when she saw Arthur perform the charm. She also noticed that he now looked much less stressed – and that was both terrifying and comforting at once. She would wait to ask … but only until the kids finished their cake.

Everyone enjoyed the cake and then ran off to play – after dutifully putting the plates away. (Ron and Ginny needed a bit of help.)

Before Percy could run off, Arthur motioned him to stay. Percy really looked up to his father – he worked at the Ministry – and so didn't make any commotion. Once the other four had run off to work off the rush they got from the tasty treat, Percy (with all of the solemnness a ten year old could muster) asked his dad, "What is it, Dad?"

Arthur looked very sad and Percy was worried. Molly wasn't much better and didn't say anything because she didn't want to alert the other children.

"I learned something very bad today." Luckily, Scabbers had fallen asleep after his bit of cake and so didn't hear this.

"What is it?"

He looked at his son. "You remember when you learned about Wizards who could turn into animals?"

Percy nodded. "Charlie said that one of the professors could do that. It's called … animagus?"

Arthur nodded and then looked at his wife briefly before addressing his son. "Absolutely right, son. Now I need you (and your Mum) to remain calm." He paused and then continued, "I didn't want to make a big deal out of it when your brothers and sisters were here, but I found out that Scabbers is most likely an animagus trying to hide from the Aurors."

Percy looked at his rat in shock. Molly almost couldn't keep herself from screaming. Arthur calmly sent a stunning spell at the rat. "Now, I'm not certain – so Professor Dumbledore and a friend are coming to make certain. And if Scabbers isn't a real rat, the wizard with him promised to give you a new pet of your choice to make up for it."

Molly was so shocked – and frightened – that she didn't even protest the possibility of such being charity. She just wanted to rat to go away - NOW.

Arthur moved to the floo and called to Hogwarts. Very soon, he returned with Albus Dumbledore and another wizard – who looked remarkably like a Potter.

The three had returned to find Molly had Percy behind her on the other side of the room. She had her wand in her hand – just in case.

"Hello, Molly. I see that Arthur has told you of our suspicions." Albus had the same calm look he normally carried.

Molly nodded. "I'm not taking any chances. I'm a bit upset that Arthur told Percy – he's too young for this."

The extra visitor said softly, "Mrs. Weasley, I know you want to protect your children – but hiding things from them for their safety leads to them being unprepared for the world. It's better to teach them now so that they're ready to handle it later when you're not there anymore."

The tone of the man's voice was so familiar and filled with so much emotion, it was as if the man had known her for years. She was so startled that she actually dropped her wand and turned to see who had said it.

She studied the man's face for a long moment and said, "What would you have me do? They're my children and it's my job to protect them."

The man smiled and in that instant she knew the man before her was wise beyond his apparent years. "The lioness knows that the world is a harsh place. She watches her cubs – but she also let's them experience life and pain while they're young and she's there to protect and teach them. She does it because when they grow up and gone they'll have to make it as Lions themselves. Your family is too Gryffindor to stay out of trouble forever."

Molly felt a fundamental shift in her attitudes. She had forgotten, perhaps, that she was a Gryffindor. She loved her children without reservation. She would teach them what it meant to be a Gryffindor Lion.

Albus decided it was time to intervene. "Molly. This is Gary Seven. He is the one who alerted me to this." He turned to Percy. "Hello. One of my middle names is Percivel – so we have that to share. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Percy had heard stories about the Headmaster. "Hello, sir. It's nice to meet you too."

Albus nodded. "Now, let us check your pet and see." He took his wand and performed a spell. The rat glowed red. Albus sighed. "I was almost hoping that we were wrong. Now I must admit to a grave error."

Percy gasped. "But you're Albus Dumbledore! You're the best wizard in the world."

Albus looked at the boy sadly. "Alas, young Percivel, I am a man like any other. While I have many accomplishments and perhaps a well-known level of skill, I am – like any other man – far from perfect. It is a fact of life that people make mistakes. And when men such as myself make mistakes, they are often very large. And I have recently learned that I have made far too many large mistakes." His face became more cheerful then. "But fear not. Recognition is the first step toward repair. Don't be afraid to fail. Be willing to look honestly and when you see your own mistakes, make every effort to rectify them. Such is the path to true success."

Percy nodded. "Thank you, Headmaster, for the lesson."

Gary Seven interjected, "Well, Headmaster, I'm happy to see that you have learned the lesson."

Albus nodded at the Lone Traveler. "Yes. Now, we shall return to Hogwarts and prepare to rectify this one." He pulled a bag from his pocket and handed this to Percy. "This should allow your father and mother to take you to Diagon Alley for a suitable replacement. Perhaps, if there is anything left, you can share in your good fortune with your younger siblings. The proper care of a pet is a good place to learn responsibility."

Percy nodded and thanked the Headmaster.

The Headmaster grabbed the cage and turned to the Weasleys. "Molly. Arthur. I shall let you know when the trial takes place. It would perhaps be good for your children to see proper justice seeing as they are involved however peripherally."

He then moved to make his way back to the floo.

Gary Seven said, "It was nice to meet you. I wish you good luck and success with teaching them to be proper Lions."

Molly nodded and Arthur shook his hand. Gary deliberately took the time to shake Percy's hand as well. "I suggest a nice owl for when you go to Hogwarts. And perhaps Kneazle kittens for the younger ones. I made certain he left enough for that." He paused. "Although Fred and George probably don't need a pet to amuse them – they amuse each other enough already." He made his way out with a grin.

Molly was silently struck by how much the strange man seemed to know. She had much to think about.

* * *

Harry flooed in to the office of the Headmaster. Dumbledore quickly vanished the floo powder from himself and his guest and made his way to the desk. He set the cage down deliberately in the middle of the desk.

The man who was waiting for them looked at the cage and asked, "So this is the creature who framed my grandson? This is the creature that threatened extinction of my House?"

Albus replied, "From all indications: Yes it is, Mr. Black."


	3. A Matter of Justice

_AN This is first chapter where I have split it off to a new story. _

* * *

Arcturus Black looked at the rat in front of himself with some disdain – and a bit of anger. "It is, perhaps, serendipitous that Sirius shall soon be free." He sighed. "I am too old. I've lost my son. My daughter has distanced herself since her son was found to be a squib. My youngest grandson is dead at the hands of that mongrel. And my daughter-in-law, Sirius' mother, just died a few days ago. I've been feeling my age and wondered who I should leave in charge of the family."

Harry nodded. "In my world, you had a few years left, but I won't say how many. I might not have been born a Black but my grandmother was and I've been recognized in a number of universes as being a member of your family. I can honestly say that Sirius is your best choice to continue the family."

Arcturus sighed. "It's like our family has been a Ship of Fools. I've been too tired and too jaded to properly steer it." He turned his head. "So I do thank you for what you have done for us. No matter how little it really had to do with helping the Blacks."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement.

Arcturus pulled a sheaf of parchment from his robe. "If I am to wade back into the ugly politics of the Wizengamot to ensure Sirius is given his rightful justice, I must protect against treachery. I have completed a new Final Testament. I will need you two to come with me to Gringotts and witness. Tomorrow we step into the abyss."

Albus stood and said, "What shall we do with Peter?"

Harry looked at the Headmaster and grinned.

* * *

Peter came to and looked around. He was confused. The last thing he remembered was eating the cake that Percy Weasley had fed him through his cage. He noticed that he was in a stone cell with no windows and no easy exit. There was a clear pane of what looked like glass which separated him from the door. It had several small holes near the top for air – but no other openings he could fit through. There was a simple toilet and sink. There was also a stone bed with straw on it.

He was also no longer in his animagus form. He felt certain terror as he tried to change and found out he couldn't.

The door on the other side of the pane opened and he was surprised to see someone who looked very much like his old friend James as well as an older wizard who was obviously wealthy and powerful.

"What am I doing here? Why am I in a cell?" he called out.

The James look-alike replied, "Well. Here's the thing. You've framed a member of the Noble House of Black for your crimes. It's time for justice to be served. So, until the trial you're going to be in this place. There's an anti-animagus ward up so no escaping that way. You've got facilities to take care of your basic needs. What more do you want?"

Peter cried out, "What about food? I'll starve!"

The not-James shook his head. "No, we've taken care of that. A house elf will serve you food." He paused and then called, "Kreacher!"

An angry-looking in a battered tea cozy appeared right next to the two men. "This is Kreacher. He doesn't really like you because you served the man who got his beloved Master killed. We've had to be pretty strict in his orders for you to be properly fed and not poisoned. I wouldn't recommend trying anything too stupid. If you start lying to get him to let you go or you do anything which might be conceived as trying to escape … well," and here the man's voice dropped to a harsh whisper, "Kreacher is a bit on the damaged side. I don't know what he'd do." The man's voice went back to normal. "You'll be fed properly. But the next time we see you – it will be in front of the Wizengamot. You've not got a good time left."

* * *

Arcturus and Gary left the Room of Requirement to make their way back to the Headmasters office. Arcturus asked, "No escape?"

Gary said, "I deliberately set up a room that was unchangeable until I or the Headmaster specifically bring him out. As long as he's in the room, it can't be altered to allow him to escape. The stone is something I've run into in my Traveling – much harder than granite and magically resistant. And the glass is really transparent aluminum – something from a universe where they use it for windows in spaceships. No wizard is going to break out of that. Even if he had a wand – which he doesn't – he'd be using the wrong spells."

Arcturus nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Let's make our way back. I have a will to file and preparations to make."

* * *

"Oyez! Oyez! Wizengamot is now called to session! Chief Warlock Dumbledore Presiding! Let all who have business before the Lords and Ladies Wizengamot stand forth and be recognized!"

Albus Dumbledore stood to the rostrum and nodded to the crier. He looked out and saw that there were a few people standing. He asked for the names and called out the order.

"The first to be heard shall be Lord Wizengamot Black on a matter of Justice." Albus nodded to the man.

The Wizengamot stilled to hear the man. While many families had hereditary seats, it was not uncommon for such seats to be vacant or voted by proxy. No member could hold more than two proxy votes and many hereditary lords had multiple proxies already, due to inheritance. Elected members were traditionally not trusted to vote hereditary seat proxies. And so families which could not attend often did not vote.

The Black seat was one such seat. The man before them had never trusted another to vote his seat and had long been absent to prevent attack on his person. That he was here now was a bit of a surprise.

"I take the most unusual step of appearing here because my House has been attacked!" Sudden sounds of surprise and shock could be heard. "The Heir to my House has been imprisoned and sent to Azkaban!"

Lady Longbottom rose quickly, "I object! Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban due to his own actions! Legal incarceration for criminal acts do not does not constitute an attack on your house."

Arcturus Black nodded to the formidable woman. "I would agree with the Lady Wizengamot but for one fact: My heir sits imprisoned without lawful conviction. There was no trial. There was no proper and lawful order! My heir sits in isolation to satisfy the image of those who put him there!"

There were many expressions of shock now being heard in the chamber. Arcturus almost hated what he was about to do the Lady Wizengamot who addressed him.

"Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black sits in Azkaban and she is also a Daughter of my House. Do I protest this? Am I trying to free her? NO! She committed crimes, she was caught, she was tried, and she is being PUNISHED! Properly! And according to Law. I only ask, no I DEMAND, that my heir be given the same treatment and protections that ANY other wizard or witch enjoys! The right to be tried LAWFULLY!"

The hubbub that this caused was very loud. So loud that the Chief Warlock had to silence the chamber. "Has the Lord Wizengamot sufficiently answered your objection?"

Augusta Longbottom was stoically trying to keep her reactions to herself. The reminder of the attack on her son and daughter-in-law had stirred her grief once more. But Black's acknowledgement that the punishment for that bitch was proper and that he supported it did break her irrational hatred and forced her to acknowledge that perhaps not all members of that family were evil.

She nodded in acknowledgement and sat down.

The Chief Warlock could have demanded a verbal reply but he was not heartless. "The objection being rebutted is overruled. The Wizengamot directs the Serjent to retrieve the Director of Magical Law Enforcement to answer the Lord Wizengamot's claim. We shall resume in ten minutes. Members are directed to stay within the chamber."

There was another buzz at this. Although it wasn't necessarily uncommon, it was unusual for such a recess to have that requirement.

Albus and Arcturus didn't want anyone to attempt to hastily take care of silencing an inconvenient truth. Amelia Bones, Senior Auror, had been asked by Albus himself to watch the boat-launch and prevent unexpected visitors from traveling to Azkaban. There were no scheduled visits and the next one should be Alastor Moody, Gawain Robards, and a family representative to retrieve a prisoner.

Soon, the Director of the DMLE and the Minister of Magic both arrived and Albus called for the recess to end.

"Minister Bagnold, although not required we are pleased to see your attendance to hear the matter at hand." He turned toward the DMLE Director. "Director Crouch, you have been called before the Wizengamot to answer a question: Why is Sirius Black in Azkaban?"

Crouch's face took on an ugly look. "Black was sent to Azkaban for his part in the betrayal of the Potters! This is a well-known FACT! Why am I being asked to answer for this?" Sirius Black being caught was a major step in repairing his reputation after the debacle with his son. He didn't like being asked about it.

Arcturus Black stood up. "Where is the record of his trial which ordered this?"

Crouch was caught flat-footed. Only he and a very few people even knew that Black had been sent to Azkaban without trial. And none of them would talk: They had too much to lose by doing so.

Bertemius Crouch gave all of the impression of a child caught stealing from the cookie jar – well, at least to those who had some observational skills. Finally he said, "The Wizengamot holds the records of trials."

Arcturus Black moved forward and dropped a sealed parchment on the desk in front of the Chief Warlock. "The Wizengamot Administration provided a proper record of trials between 1 November 1981 and 15 November 1981 – not an unusual request as it has been made several times. No where in these records are there any mentions of a trial for Sirius Black. So I ask the question again: Why is my heir, Sirius Black, in Azkaban?"

Crouch knew he had no leg to stand on. "I cannot answer that question." His face showed that he really didn't want to be answering questions about this.

Arcturus Black turned back to the Chief Warlock. "Then I demand that he be brought from Azkaban and allowed preparation for a proper trial." He turned once again toward Crouch with a look of loathing but still addressed the Chair. "I also demand, based on Director Crouch's reluctance to see proper justice, that those sent to retrieve him be Alastor Moody, Gawain Robards, and the man I assigned as his Defense Barrister. I also ask that these be assigned to watch him until he is brought to trial tomorrow."

Many in the Wizengamot were confused. Alastor Moody was well known as someone who loathed Dark Wizards. Gawain Robards was not well known but those that knew him respected his honesty.

Those members who were considered Dark didn't know why Arcturus Black would request that type of Auror to do this. Those that were considered Light began to actually believe that Arcturus Black was asking for proper justice instead of some sham acquittal.

Baremius Crouch knew that those two wouldn't listen to suggestions about "accidents in transit" or "attempted escape."

Albus called for the vote and it was agreed. The Aurors in question were sent and Albus moved to the next matter before the Wizengamot.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy apparated to the boat-launch. His son was so very close to being the only possible choice for inheriting the Black fortune and he didn't want to take any chances. An ally had reported to him as soon as feasible and he thought that he could take steps before this disaster moved forward. He was highly disappointed to see that the boat was already gone from the launch.

Alastor Moody was too formidable an Auror to take a chance at trying when it came back. He would have to try otherwise.

* * *

Albus was sitting at his desk when the floo call came. He sighed and moved to allow the men to come through. "Director Crouch. Auror Yaxley. How may I help you?"

Barty Crouch was almost snarling when he said, "Where is Sirius Black? Auror Yaxley reported to me that he was not in the holding cells at the Ministry. Have you allowed a convicted felon to escape?"

Dumbledore calmly replied, "Sirius Black is in a cell waiting for his trial. He has not been convicted of anything. Auror Moody has submitted a memory of the cell to prove that Black is in custody as well as a magically-sealed statement."

"I want to see the memory."

Albus pulled out his Pensieve. It had been set up just for this reason. All of the non-useful memories were stored in vials in his cabinet. This one memory was in a separate vial.

He poured the vial in. The two DMLE people entered the memory.

They looked around and saw Alastor Moody standing in a cell. It had a toilet, sink, and stone table. In the corner was a shower-head and drain in a depression – but no curtains. It was surrounded by what looked to be glass. There was a wall made of the same glass which separated the cell from the entrance. A box of glass attached to this wall. They were confused.

"This is Alastor Moody, Senior Auror. This is a test to check the security of this facility." The image of Moody pulled his wand and cast a high-power Reductor Curse. He then cast a finite. And then a number of other spells. Nothing even marked the stone walls nor the glass.

Yaxley and Crouch were impressed despite themselves.

"I am attempting to apparate." Alastor Moody didn't move. "I will now attempt to make a portkey." He tapped an old sock and said, "Portus. Activation is … Test!." Nothing happened. "I have confirmed that neither portkey nor apparition work in this facility."

Moody vanished the sock. "I hereby certify that this facility is secure enough to hold the suspect."

The memory changed and suddenly the two Aurors, Sirius Black, and a strange man were now present outside of the cell. "This is a record of the placement of Sirius Black into the holding cell pending his trial."

Robards stood with Black and the two others moved to a panel. "This requires that both an Auror and the Defense Barrister/Solicitor must be present to open the cell." Both placed their hands on the panel and the large glass moved up until it was hidden.

Robards moved the dirty man into the cell and then retreated. The two at the panel then lifted their hands and the panel dropped. Black was now in the cell.

A House Elf appeared with a tray of food. "Prisoner has been underfed since his incarceration."

Robards took the tray and moved to the glass box. He opened it and it was obvious that the other side wouldn't open until he closed it. He put the tray in and closed his side.

"Okay, Black. Here's dinner."

The Prisoner moved to take the tray and moved to the stone table. A stone slab was attached to the wall for him to sit on.

"Senior Auror Alastor Moody hereby certifies that the Prisoner is secured for the night. He can only be released with either myself or Auror Robards and the Defense Council acting in concert."

The memory ended and the two were ejected.

Crouch looked at the Headmaster and asked, "Where is this facility?"

Albus shook his head. "As Chief Warlock, I can't tell you. I can only confirm that it under my control and that Aurors Moody and Robards are acting as guards. I have no control INSIDE the facility – I only provided it. I can give an oath that no external influences – even my own – can attack or free Sirius Black."

Both knew they were defeated. Dumbledore was notoriously close-mouthed and both knew they didn't have the power to force him. Moody was incorruptible. And neither had any clue as to exactly where such a facility could be – there were no signs of ANYTHING useful.

Crouch did really like the facility. He was professional enough to recognize artistry and he couldn't imagine a facility better suited to keep people locked up. There could be NO chance of escape. Even food was delivered without a possibility of a prisoner making an escape.

* * *

Sirius looked around the cell he was located in. He, surprisingly, felt very good – for someone who had been in prison for three years.

He had immediately ate the food that was provided. He almost immediately afterwards used the shower to get himself clean – it had been far, far too long.

As soon as he was done, he grabbed the robe which apparently had been left in the delivery box when he was distracted by dinner.

A muggle book dropped out of the robes. He looked at it. It was made of paper but no hard cover. He looked inside and saw a note had been written. "Something to amuse yourself with for the night. Compliments of your Defense."

Considering he hadn't had anything to read or do other than to think and wallow in misery for over three years, he very much appreciated the gesture.

He read the title of the book: Created, The Destroyer.

He shrugged his shoulders and opened to the first page.

* * *

Gary sat within the room he had made for himself in the Room of Requirement. He had really wanted to comfort Sirius and tell him what was happening, but he also wanted everything to be completely free of any influence.

He had made detailed notes for Albus in case he was called to move on, but all indications were that he would be here for one of his longer trips.

He had visited Dursleys early in the morning to be certain that Little Harry was not punished for the accident the night before and to tell her exactly what he was doing. Vernon was apologetic – slightly. He didn't do much more than a gruff apology to his nephew but Gary was amazed even by that.

His own experiences still colored his own opinions far too much.

Harry had accepted it. He was a bit withdrawn but Gary noticed that he was treated with a bit of indifference rather than outright hate by the Dursleys.

Petunia DID apologize when Gary confirmed that Dudley HAD kicked Harry the night before to cause the spill. She didn't want to accept it, but the alternate version of her nephew was too honest and straightforward not to be believed.

Besides, he had defended them the night before and she couldn't see him saying something like that just for spite.

Gary had then contacted Arcturus Black. It wasn't easy, but finally he had gotten through. He had told him about Sirius' innocence and gave a brief explanation for his own situation.

Acturus wasn't the closet idealist he had met in that other universe, but he also wasn't a raving bigot. He was just a tired and cynical man. But he did want to see his family name live on and he respected Sirius' convictions – even if he didn't share them himself.

So, Gary had taken steps to keep things as safe and proper as possible. He really wanted to see Sirius cleared and able to care for Harry. Harry deserved more than an indifferent guardian and he was certain that James and Lily Potter would prefer to see Sirius raise Harry than Petunia and Vernon.


	4. Vindication and a Mystery

A/N: I'm so sorry for the weak plot device I use in this chapter. I don't know that the Prior Incantatum spell actually shows who or what was hit - but I'm using it here because otherwise this section would be far, far longer.

I also apologize for the intermibly long veritaserum questioning. So many times the questioning is so cliché it annoys me. So I tried to get a trial which was based more on real rules of evidence and questioning which didn't leave gaps that were a mile wide open. Of course, the fact that wizards are idiots means that most cliché descriptions would probably be accepted in such an odd society.

* * *

"Oyez, Oyez. Oyez! Oyez! Wizengamot is now called to session! The Lords and Ladies Wizengamot now sit in judgement! Senior Wizengamot Lord Tiberius Ogden Presiding! The case of Magical Law Enforcement vs. Sirius Black shall now be heard. Let all who have knowledge of this matter stand forth and be heard."

Albus had recused himself as a witness and so Tiberius Ogden was presiding.

Tiberius nodded to the crier and then said, "Who represents the parties?"

Barty Crouch stood. "Bartimius Crouch for the Prosecution."

"Gary Seven of the House of Black for the Defence."

Crouch immediately stood. "The DMLE has no record of this wizard. What proof do we have of his affiliation."

Arcturus Black stood. He had also recused himself, but was present. "As the Head of House Black, I have provided proof to Lord Ogden. You have no need of further evidence."

Crouch looked at the Elder member and Ogden nodded. "Very well."

"Bring is the prisoner."

Albus Dumbledore took this as his cue and he sent a Patronus spell off. There was muttering as usually an Auror was sent. Soon, however, the Headmaster's phoenix flashed in with three wizards in tow: Alastor Moody, Gawain Robards, and Sirius Black.

Moody looked around and then said, "I bring the prisoner to the Wizengamot for judgement. He has been in my custody since being retrieved." Moody walked up (his wooden leg clumping along) to the Elder member and presented documents and vials. "Here is the evidence of his treatment and the steps I took as well as all documents from Azkaban regarding the prisoner." He took a pouch from his pocket. "The Prisoner's wand is here."

Ogden looked through the documents and the pouch.

"As reported, the wand is not snapped meaning that normal procedure failed. A prisoner's wand is snapped upon conviction. There is a sheet giving the charges. There is an order that places him there but no record of a trial."

Ogden put these aside. "Therefore, I find there is sufficient reason for a trial to take place."

Crouch once again stood. "Prisoners being charged with such serious crimes normally require dementors on hand. Where are the dementors?"

Gary Seven stood and called, "Objection. The prisoner is secure. There is no need to subject the prisoner to dementors unless he is convicted."

Ogden replied, "Overruled. The procedure for trials for treason against Magical Britain includes dementors to perform the kiss if convicted. The dementors will be placed in their traditional location."

An Auror went out and soon two dementors moved into the room. However, instead of moving toward the area they would be contained in, they rushed directly at the prisoner and his barrister.

Gary Seven quickly performed the Patronus charm. The audience was in shock when the Patronus was gold rather than the customary white.

The Junior Undersecretary yelled in protest. "The Defence is preventing the dementors from their duties! He must be punished!"

Gary Seven looked with fury at the younger-but-still-toardlike Dolores Umbridge. "Why are the dementors attacking us before conviction?"

Ogden looked furiously at Umbdrige and then Crouch. "Yes. Why are the dementors attacking the prisoner without a lawful order?"

Crouch was sweating. He hadn't expected such a quick Defence. "I don't know. It's possible they are somehow fighting the Ministry's control." Umbridge just didn't say anything.

In truth, Dolores Umbridge was upset because she wouldn't be getting the money Lucius Malfoy had paid her to take care of this quickly.

Gary was quick to interject. "I won't have rogue dementors attacking my client! I demand they be removed unless a Kiss is ordered."

Ogden nodded. "I quite agree. While the presence of the guards of Azkaban is traditional, the prisoner is due the right to not be directly threatened unless convicted. Aurors! Remove the dementors!"

Soon the dementors were gone. Ogden finally said, "Prosecutor. Present your case."

Bartemius Crouch was vicious. There were very few witnesses, however, and very little evidence. Gary noticed that he never had Sirius' wand checked. Crouch acted as though he had given an excellent case.

Finally, Ogden called for Gary to present his case.

"The Defence calls Garrick Ollivander."

The respected Wandmaker made his way up.

"Mr. Ollivander, you have been selling wands to British wizards for how many years?"

"One Hundred and Seven, since my Grandfather first apprenticed me."

"Have you ever forgotten a wand you have sold or a wizard you sold it to?"

"No. I remember every wand I have ever sold."

"So, for example," he looked around and pointed to a random Wizengamot member, "did you sell that man a wand?"

Ollivander looked. "12 ¾ Inch. Cherry. Dragon Heartstring. Good for Defence and Charms. I sold the wand in 1932."

Gary looked around. "Does anyone want to question the expertise of Mr. Ollivander?"

There was a large amount of silence.

"Very well." He said to the Elder member, "I would request that Mr. Ollivander be allowed to inspect the wand of Sirius Black."

Ogden replied, "I will allow it." He directed that the pouch be handed over.

Mr. Ollivander looked at the wand. "Yes. I sold this wand. 11 ¾ inches. Mahogany. It contains the heartstring of a particularly strong Hebridian Black. Good for Transfiguration."

"Very good. Can you tell us with certainty the last spells this wand performed?"

There was muttering. "Of course."

"Please do so."

Crouch stood. "Objection! Such a test would have been performed when it was taken. This might taint the record of the wand." Truthfully, Bartemious Crouch was grasping and had no clue what he was saying.

Ollivander looked at Crouch with some disdain. "Do not tell me my craft! Your statement is completely false and shows that you have no knowledge of wandcraft."

Gary Seven replied. "As Mr. Ollivander has stated, Mr. Crouch is not a Wandmaker and does not have the training to accurately judge."

"Sustained. Perform the test."

"This is the Prior Incantatum spell – a standard spell for Aurors and those investigating crimes. I find it odd that Mr. Crouch so misunderstands the spell." He performed the spell and watched the results. "This wand last performed, in reverse order, a stunning spell, several apparatings, and a minor healing spell."

"Can you tell us who the spells were cast toward?"

"Not the stunning spell as it didn't hit anyone. But the minor Healing spell was for a baby which appears to be a Potter, but I am not certain."

There were now many more mutterings until the Elder had to force the room to be quiet.

"Thank you. I have another wand for you to examine."

Crouch yelled, "Objection! What relevence?"

Gary replied, "Mr. Ollivander is the leading expert on wands. His ability to identify and examine wands is undisputed. The wand is of a person who was present at the incident in question."

Ogden looked at the Defence. "Who's wand?"

"I would prefer Mr. Ollivander to identify so as to prevent any from claiming undue influence."

"Very well. Overruled for now. Proceed."

Gary brought out a pouch and handed it to Ollivander. Ollivander took the wand out and said, "Interesting."

"Mr. Ollivander, can you identify this wand?"

"Yes. I sold this wand in 1971. 8 ¾". Willow with a unicorn hair core. I sold this to Peter Pettigrew."

There were a number of mutterings. Crouch looked at the wand with some consternation. He was trying to think of something to object to.

"Please perform the same investigation on spells cast with this wand."

Ollivander once again cast the Prior Incantatum spell and reported, "In reverse order, a cutting curse, a blasting hex, and several apparatings.."

"Can you tell us who the spells were cast toward?"

"The blasting hex is unidentifiable. The cutting curse is odd."

"How so?"

"The curse registers as being used against the wands owner by the wand owner himself. Cursing oneself is very odd."

The mutterings became much louder.

"So, to be clear, the cutting curse FOLLOWED the blasting hex?"

"Yes."

Ollivander was soon dismissed.

"I call Sirius Orion Black to the stand. The Prisoner has consented to being questioned under Veritaserum."

Sirius was not allowed to leave the chair he was chained to, but testified from there. After his name was verified and a control question were asked, the questioning began.

"Are you a follower of Voldemort, self-claimed Dark Lord?"

"No."

There had been a visible flinch when the name was given.

"Were you the secret keeper on a Fidelius Charm under which James Potter, Lily Potter, and Harry Potter lived?"

"No."

"Were you aware of such a charm?"

"Yes."

"How were you aware of it?"

"I forgot where they lived until Wormtail told me."

"Who is Wormtail?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew verbally told you the secret?"

"Yes."

"Were you surprised that Pettigrew knew the secret?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I suggested to Prongs and Lily that Wormtail become the secret keeper instead of me."

"Why not be the keeper yourself?"

"No one would expect Wormtail to be picked as secret keeper. I asked to be a decoy."

"Why would you ask to be a decoy?"

"So that I could keep my godson safe. If I was tortured, I wouldn't be able to give the information. Me disappearing would have alerted Peter to go into hiding."

"So you were willing to die to keep the Potters safe?"

"Yes."

"When you were caught, you were heard saying, 'I killed them!', and laughing. Why did you say that?"

"Because I was the one who suggested Wormtail as secret keeper."

"Why did you laugh?"

"Because Wormtail got one over on me and I couldn't believe it. It was either laugh or cry."

"How did Wormtail get one over on you?"

"He framed me for killing a bunch of muggles."

"How did he frame you?"

"He hexed a gas pipe to explode which killed the muggles. He then cut off his finger and changed into his Wormtail form and escaped."

"What is his Wormtail form?"

"A dark grey rat."

"He was an animagus?"

"Yes."

"Was Peter Pettigrew alive when you saw him last?"

"Yes."

"To your knowledge, could he still be alive?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever appeared before anyone to determine your guilt or innocence?"

"No."

"Have you been interviewed by anyone since you were taken by the Aurors after Pettigrew disappeared?"

"No."

"Have you ever killed anyone or given information which was used by someone else to kill anyone?"

"No."

After a few moments of stunned silence, there was a much louder hubbub than normal which necessitated Ogden to quiet the room.

There were no other questions asked of Sirius. Even Crouch was unwilling to ask.

Crouch was looking at the very real possibility that this would get him fired.

The revealing of Peter Pettigrew – with his sleeve torn off and faded Dark Mark fully visible – was almost anticlimactic. He was taken by Aurors so that he could be given his own trial later.

None of the participants in the room particularly wanted to take the time to question him now as his presence alone verified Sirius' story.

Needless to say, Sirius was soon on his way to treatment and there would be much that magical Britain would be talking about.

* * *

Gary Seven sat in the Dursley's kitchen drinking the tea that Petunia served.

She nervously sat facing him, doing the same. "You say he'll feel some pain? Can't you use … something … to take care of it? We already have enough trouble getting him to move out of the cupboard. We don't need new trauma added."

Harry shook his head. "I've never tried it with any other … things … active that I know of. I'd rather not take a chance. He's not old enough to understand, nor agree to, experimentation."

"Will you do it here?" She really didn't know if she wanted to see this.

"I'm thinking of doing it at the bank. The bankers will provide a facility if I request it. They owe me a couple of favors."

Petunia nodded. She thought about it and said, "Well, it's better to take care of it. I might not love him as I should, God help me, but I do not want to see him suffer."

Gary nodded. "I appreciate your honesty. I already respect you far more than most of your alternates. Most are so caught up in being normal that they allow many wretched things to occur. And the idiocy of wizards doesn't help."

Petunia took on a look like she had swallowed a lemon. "If it wasn't for the fact that nothing will change the truth, I'd never let him go off to those people."

Gary sighed. "In my youth, I would have resented you for saying that. Experience has taught me that you far more accurate in your criticisms than most wizards would be comfortable with."

Petunia nodded with some small sense of joy. The acknowledgement by her nephew's other self had released just a very small part of the old hurts that she had long held in her heart.

It was the first step in healing.

* * *

Harry looked around at the scary room he was in. There were mean looking people who were setting things up. The man who had stopped the old man from doing something to his Unca Vern'n had brought him here and told him they were going to get rid of a sickness in his forehead.

He had always wondered what it was, but Aunt Tuney and Unca Vern'n would never tell. To find out there was a sickness was bad. He remembered the yucky cut that he had hidden from Aunt Tuney. It took forever to go away.

So, Harry sat on the table he was asked to and tried not to be scared. He was told getting rid of the sickness would hurt but would be over fast.

Finally the man asked him to close his eyes and lay down. He scrunched his eyes really tight. He heard the man say something like "fin it in tatum" but the words made no sense.

He quickly forgot about the words when he felt his forehead hurt … A LOT. He really wanted to scream but he really wanted to be brave so he just sat there … and hurt.

Soon, however, the hurt went away! And he really felt much better!

He opened his eyes to ask the man if the sickness was gone but the man was looking at him really weird.

Finally he said, "'ut? Why you look at me?"

The man did something with his stick and then picked up a little mirror on the table. He didn't remember that there!

The man handed it to him and he looked to see if the cut was gone.

What he saw surprised him. He looked like himself … but different. The cut was almost totally gone – it looked like the yucky cut he had right before it went away – but his hair wasn't the same color anymore! Now it was the color of … pancakes. Or the stuff for the pancakes that Dudley always kept for himself.

An older person would describe it as a rich brown.

"Why hair diff'rent?"

The man looked as confused as he felt. He said, "I don't know."

* * *

Harry was following Gary with much energy. Gary Seven – born Harry James Potter – had no idea exactly what was happening.

He had waited until he explained horcruxes to Dumbledore and taken care of the ones he could get. He had dealt with the goblins to get the Lestrange Cup. The Diadem was easy. The snake was not likely one yet. Arcturus had allowed Gary to get the Locket from Kreacher. (Kreacher, needless to say, was much happier.) The Ring was tricky but taken care of. He had kept that from Albus.

The Diary was the only one not in reach and would be Dumbledore's job to get taken care of. Dobby was a Malfoy elf and not Narcissa's so Arcturus couldn't use him to get it. And no one wanted to directly take on the Malfoys until success was certain.

And so, Gary had taken care of the unintentional one. Due to his unique relationship with Harry Potter (being an alternate), the fact that it wasn't properly sealed as a Horcrux, and Gary's ownership of (a version of) the Elder Wand, Gary Seven was the only one who could handle it so easily. And so, he had gotten permission from the goblins and performed the Ending Charm.

But more than the little bit of a connection was ended. Harry's appearance had changed. Harry only saw the color of his hair change, but Gary noticed a few other small details. He no longer looked to be a clone of James Potter.

He still looked like the man's son, but not a carbon copy.

And so, he was taking little Harry to visit his godfather in St. Mungo's. He'd let them visit – and then Gary had a few questions.

The visit was a success. Little Harry had been overjoyed to meet one of his parents' friends and the idea that he would visit often and tell stories gave the boy much joy.

Finally, Gary had gotten Harry distracted and asked, "Do you know why Harry now looks so different? At first I thought that maybe he had some metamorphmagus talent, but I tried to get him to change his hair again and nothing happened. This is how he really looks."

Sirius was as confused as Gary. "I don't know. He still kind of looks like James, but why he looks so different is a mystery."

Gary thought for a bit. "Where can we look?"

Sirius considered it. "Maybe they left papers in their vault?"

Gary replied, "So just ask the goblins to look?"

Sirius shook his head. "You might be able to do it, but it's locked down right now. The best answer is to see if they had a will. The Executor would have access."

Gary nodded. "I'll talk to Dumbledore. In most universes, he seals the will to 'Protect Harry.' This one is just manipulative enough that it's likely."

Sirius grinned ruefully. "Yeah. Dumbles pretty much never changes."

Gary grinned a bit viciously. "Well, I kind of kicked him in the arse hard enough to knock some sense into him. He's going to start telling people the truth about his past. I finally got through to him that people will respect him more if they know the truth – faults and all. And he gets annoyed with the Hero Worship as much as I did. So he's willing to tarnish the image a bit."

Sirius whistled – which brought Harry's attention back to the two adults. "He doesn't tell anyone anything he doesn't have to. You've performed a miracle!"

Harry had walked back over. "'ut's a mir'cul?"

Both adults suddenly saw the boy. Sirius grinned and said, "You are!" The two distracted Harry enough that he forgot the question.


	5. Mystery Solved

AN: In this world Shannon Gibbs got involved with Jethro Gibbs in 1978 when he was 20 rather than 1982 when he was 24.

* * *

It had taken some convincing but finally Gary got Dumbledore to lift the seal. Truthfully, Dumbledore was just as interested in why Harry was different as the others were.

And so, the will reading was taking place in a conference room at Gringotts.

"This is the reading of the Final Will and Testament of James Charlus Potter and Lily Mary Potter nee Evans. Present are Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Andromeda Tonks nee Black, Petunia Dursley, and myself, Sharpshard, Gringotts Solicitor. Also present as a courtesy is Maarak Ilumian. All others have agreed to allow his presence. Leroy and Shannon Gibbs have yet to be located." Harry was being watched by Vernon but being represented by Sirius as godfather. Andromeda was present to represent her daughter.

Remus had recently been found and had been overjoyed when he learned his old friend was innocent. Sirius was feeling much better. Andromeda had been surprised to be contacted but had also enjoyed reconnecting with her favorite family member.

Petunia was a bit nervous as she was the only non-magical present.

Harry was being represented by both Petunia and Sirius as Petunia held guardianship and Sirius had standing in the magical world.

The whole room was shocked by a number of things revealed in the will.

(A/N: I'm not going to include the text as it's not needed.)

The letter that had been included to explain the guardianship was read aloud (with the Solicitor's permission) and, needless to say, caused quite the kerfuffle.

_Dear Padfoot,_

_I know that you were named Godfather and expect to get Harry if we are gone, but we had to choose otherwise for a very good reason: Harry has two fathers._

_You know how hard it was for my parents to have me – I was a late-life baby. We found that I was almost totally infertile. Lily searched our library and other sources and we came up with a solution: I could magically blood-adopt a baby whose father was totally muggle. The baby would actually be my son, even if he had another father._

_A Journal from our Library showed this as possible, but neither Lily nor I wanted to allow anyone else to have sex with her to get her pregnant. But then Lily found a procedure being doing in Manchester which allowed a baby to be conceived via some muggle science._

_Around this time, Lily had also found she had a cousin. Her grandfather had a brother who moved to America and changed his name to Evanston. By chance, the need for a muggle father coincided with Lily meeting her previously unknown cousin – who was living in Germany with her husband and on leave (some soldier thing) in the UK. Her husband, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is a soldier of some type with the American government and they have some base there._

_Lily's cousin, Shannon, is just a couple of years older than her. We talked to them and they agreed. We also told them about magic and the current crisis and they agreed to a Memory Mask to protect them. _

_We asked them about obliviation, but neither wanted to permanently forget. A Memory Mask allows easy recovery if you know the password. We promised to find them and remove the mask after the Dark idiot was gone._

_So, Sirius, we ask that you find Shannon and Leroy and perform the Mask Removal, password: Semper Fidelius. _

_We also ask that you look out for him and teach him what it is to be a wizard – and a Marauder. When we met the Cousin Shannon and Leroy, they were living near some place called "Panzer Kaserne" which is where Leroy worked._

_We're sorry to put you through this, but if Harry lives and can be kept safe, it's all worth it._

_Mischief Managed. _

_Prongs of the Marauders_

After a few bequests were given, the Solicitor said, "Gringotts is in the process of finding the primary guardian for Harry James Jethro Potter as named in this document. We shall contact Mrs. Dursley and Mr. Black when this has been done. It is likely that it shall be only a matter of days."

Gringotts' reach was very long and little could be hidden from them when determined.

"As executor, I hereby deliver a bank draft to Petunia Dursley nee Evans for the proper amount that should have been paid for care of the minor child until this time. Please make your way out."

Petunia felt both shocked (the draft was significant) and guilty for being a bit relieved that the boy would go elsewhere.

Dumbledore was mentally making plans. It was, perhaps, a happy chance that the guardians named included a previously-unknown blood relative of Lily's. The family relationship should be close enough.

Sirius was both saddened that he wouldn't get custody and happy that he would be in his pup's life.

Gary Seven was just shocked. It was amazing how similar and different universes could simultaneously be.

* * *

The couple was sitting in their kitchen eating lunch. It was Sunday and the husband had the day off. He was having an interesting time getting his daughter to eat the well-cooked bits of chicken. She just wanted to play with the bits.

The wife was looking on in some amusement. With her husband spending so much time on base, she was the one who often dealt with their daughter's love of playing with her food.

Kelly was a happy toddler. She had been born nine months after her husband had been promoted to Staff Sergeant. They had waited to have children until Jethro had enough rank and earned a high enough pay to not live in base housing.

The house they lived in was perfect for their family. It had three bedrooms (one was Kelly's and one would be a guest room when they had time to set it up) and a basement where her husband could play with his tools.

Shannon respected her husband's love for woodworking but she couldn't help being both amused and exasperated by Jethro's insistence on building most of their furniture rather than buying it. It was the main reason the guest room wasn't fully set up yet.

They were interrupted when the chime sounded, meaning there was someone at the door.

Jethro stood up. "Eat your lunch, missy, and maybe we'll have fun in the park afterword."

Jethro moved to the door and was surprised with who was calling. There were two men in suits and …

Staff Sergeant Gibbs slammed to attention. Even if he wasn't in uniform, this was the Base Commander for the Marine Barracks, WashingtonDC. As he was a Scout Sniper that was currently involved with the protection detail, as necessary, for Camp David and the White House – this was his boss.

"At Ease, Staff Sergeant. Would you and your wife have a few minutes?"

"Yes, Sir!"

Gibbs moved to allow the three to come in. Shannon, having heard her husband, had grabbed their daughter and moved to the door to the living room. She was curious who had come.

The Colonel nodded to his sniper's wife. "Mrs. Gibbs, you have a lovely home."

"Thank you, Colonel." She turned to her husband. "Jethro?"

Gibbs gave a small shrug to indicate to his wife that he didn't know why they were here. "The Colonel has something to talk to us about. I don't know who these two are."

The Colonel volunteered, "This is Mr. Lee Jameson from the State Department and Mr. Sirius Black from Great Britain. They have come to talk to you two about a matter of some delicacy. Due to … unusual circumstances, I was contacted on the matter and asked to provide an introduction."

Gibbs was confused. "Delicate matter, sir?"

The colonel sighed. "It has to do with something that is normally far below my pay grade. However, the nature of the parties involved means that you will most likely need to take some leave." He pulled an envelope from his inside uniform pocket. "This is an authorization for 30 days to deal with this. Some may think this is premature, but I thought it wasn't likely you would say no. If the leave is unneeded, just inform your unit commander tomorrow. I will leave these two men to explain."

He nodded to the two Gibbs. "Mrs. Gibbs, it was nice to see you. Sergeant, I hope to see you in 31 days."

Gibbs nodded to the colonel and saw him out before turning to the other two visitors. "Would someone like to tell me what the," before he could say the next word his wife interjected, "Language!" Gibbs paused. "… what the heck is going on?"

The man from England spoke. "This had to do with a child who was orphaned who is related to your wife."

Suddenly the two Gibbs became much more interested. Family was important.

"Three and a half years ago, my best friend was killed. I was framed for his murder. Recently, evidence was found which got me free and the real culprit was caught. As his son's Godfather, I got the … legal authority who had sealed their will to release the seal. We were surprised when you two were named as my godson's new guardians."

Both were surprised. Shannon said, "I didn't know I had any family. What family member are you talking about?"

Sirius sighed. "You'll have to trust me. This is one reason your boss was contacted because it was decided that you would trust it more if he agreed." Gibbs nodded. Military protocols did smooth things out a bit. "I am to perform what will look to be a very odd procedure. You will understand when I'm done."

Gibbs was suspicious. "What does this 'procedure' involve?"

Mr. Black took out a carved stick. "I'm going to move this a few times and say a password." Gibbs was incredulous. It looked kind of silly. But he shrugged and allowed it. The man did as he said he would and then said, "Semper Fidelius!"

Suddenly, memories that he had forgotten came into the fore of his mind. He remembered Shannon's cousin. He remembered her husband. He remembered magic and the proof. He remembered the hospital where he had … deposited the required item. He looked at his wife and saw that she remembered it all too.

He looked at Sirius and said, "What happened?"

Sirius handed over a letter, and then prepared himself to explain everything in detail.

* * *

The Marine Barracks commander hadn't been wrong in his assessment of his Marine. As soon as they had all of the information, plans were immediately made to travel to Great Britain and to retrieve Harry. The State Department man, Mr. Lee, was assigned to an office dealing with magical matters.

The visa and permission to travel was handled almost immediately. Gibbs, his wife, and his daughter were soon flying aboard a 747 to go to HeathrowAirport.

Mr. Lee had explained after Sirius used magic to return to England. "We could use other means to take you, but it isn't comfortable with small children. It's also better that there be normal records of your visit. It will help in the long run."

The initial suggestion that one adult or the other go was nixed quite early. Neither wanted their first meeting with a new child to be missing the other members of the family.

* * *

Sirius stood next to the Gibbs family in front of Number 4 Privet Drive. "Now, don't get upset about his room. He moved here right after he saw his mum and dad attacked and so took to hiding in the cupboard and refusing to come out. He was about to me moved to a larger room when all of this happened."

Gibbs nodded. He had been told about the Dursleys. While he didn't like them, he recognized that they were forced to take Harry without being asked.

Gibbs looked around and was both pleased and repulsed. The precise sameness of all of the houses both appealed to his sense of Military order … and repulsed him as a family man. He would not want to raise a child in a neighborhood like this.

Sirius led the family to the front door and rang the bell. Very soon a nervous Petunia Dursley was opening the door.

"Hello, Mr. Black. I assume that this is my cousin and her family?"

"Yes, Mrs. Dursley. This is Shannon Gibbs, her husband Staff Sergeant Gibbs, and their daughter Kelly."

Petunia Dursley's eyes lit up upon seeing the girl. She had always thought about having a girl. She opened the door to allow them in. "Come in. I will get tea and we'll talk first."

Sirius interrupted. "They're just here to meet Harry today. There's a whole bunch of parchmentwork to complete before they can take custody legally."

Petunia nodded as she led them inside. "I understand. Far better than how the boy got to me, I tell you."

Both of the Gibbs were nervous, although Jethro hid it. They sat down when asked and waited for Petunia to come back. She returned with a tea service.

Jethro refused the tea but Shannon accepted a cup, as did Sirius.

Finally Petunia sat down and sipper her own tea before beginning. "So, you're here to meet the boy. You will become his guardians?"

Jethro nodded. "When Sirius came to see us, it was a surprise. Lily and James hid it to protect us, but we're honored to take their son."

Petunia stiffened a bit. Since she had learned that Harry would be leaving, she had been feeling a bit regretful. She deliberately set down her cup and fully faced the man. "I know that we, perhaps, have not been the most attentive guardians. While we have cared for him to the best of our ability, he's been a reminder of too many regrets. My sister used to be my best friend and her leaving me for … that world … estranged us."

She had to fight back the tears that threatened. "When her son arrived with a note that she had died, it made the wounds much worse – and made it impossible to fix. Don't make my family's mistake."

Shannon, who had been watching mostly, asked, "What mistake?"

Petunia turned. "Don't let the boy's magic allow resentment to build." She looked at the toddler in Shannon's arms. "You have a beautiful daughter. Make sure she is as loved as the boy and because she most likely doesn't have magic either, don't let her dreams be crushed. I resented that our parents were so proud of her and seemed to ignore me. Because she was missing for most of the year, they lavished attention on her in summer and ignored me. Part of it was my fault, but the wounds of childhood either heal … or become permanent. I regret admitting that I allowed mine to become permanent."

Jethro Gibbs didn't necessarily like his wife's cousin but he admired self-honesty. He said, "You have my word as a United States Marine that I won't treat either of my children better or worse than the other."

Petunia nodded. "Well. Stiff upper lip and all that." She visibly calmed herself. "Would you like to meet the boy now?"

At their nods, Petunia made her way to the back door and called outside, "Go get cleaned up and come to the sitting room! We have guests. Duddikins, you too."

The people in the sitting room heard, "Yes, Aunt Tuney." Much louder they heard, "But, Mum, I playing a game! I done wanna meet no boring 'dults!"

"Come on, Duddy! If you do as I say, I'll let you have cake." Suddenly they heard the boy she was talking to rush in. They heard the boy on the steps and then heard a door being hit and "Hurry up!"

Gibbs gave an alarmed look to his wife. She was just as alarmed. Sirius just looked nauseas. It took considerable more self control to maintain their polite façade when Petunia Dursley returned.

There was awkward silence for the few minutes it took for the two boys to finish washing. Soon, however, the Gibbs saw a sight which took their breath away.

Standing before them was a small four-year old child. He had bright green eyes and messy hair.

Upon seeing Sirius, he crowed in delight. "Pa'foot!" The boy rushed in and threw himself at the wizard they had come with.

"Hello, pup. How are you?"

Harry chattered at Sirius for a few moments. Prior to Sirius and that man Gary, no adult had seemed to want to spend time with him. He was easily won over.

Dudley came in and demanded attention from Petunia. She rushed to do so. Finally, Harry noticed the other people. "Who dey?" Harry cocked his head with a look of confusion. "Why his hair same as mine?"


	6. A Family Meets

A/N: A short update because I wanted people to know I haven't dropped this. Just been distracted.

* * *

"Well, pup, this is Leroy Jethro Gibbs, his wife Shannon, and their daughter Kelly. He's come here to see if you want to live with him."

Harry was confused. "Why I go?"

Sirius hunkered down. "When your mum and dad died, they left a letter called a Will. It tells people what they want after they go to heaven. The letter was found two weeks ago and your Mum and Dad asked Shannon and Jethro to be your new mum and dad. Shannon is your mum's cousin and Jethro," Gibbs gave Sirius a warning look – that explanation would come later, "is related to you on your Dad's side."

Harry looked confused for a moment as he thought about that. He turned toward the Gibbs family and said, "I don' wanna take Kelly's Mum and Dad. I don' want her be sad."

Jethro Gibbs looked at the little boy whose first thought upon being offered a new life with a new family was concern for a little girl he never met before and not himself. He felt both anger toward his obviously skewed upbringing and pride toward his innate morals. This was a son he could be proud of. He said quietly, "Harry, us being your new Dad and Mom won't mean that you're stealing us from her. We would still be Kelly's Dad and Mom too. With you coming to live with us, you are her brother and she is your sister and it would be your job to help us keep her safe."

Such an idea was completely new to Harry. Harry wasn't trusted with much by the Dursleys. The idea that he would have a new family and would be trusted with a sister both awed and frightened him. "What if I do it wrong? I don' wanna do bad and be sent to the orfinige." He bowed his head. "I don' wanna do it wrong and Kelly be hurt."

Jethro had, by this time, gotten down on his knee in front of Harry. He reached out and gently pushed his chin up so that Harry was looking in his eyes. With a confidence born of his training as a Marine and his absolute faith in what he was saying he said, "We'll teach you to do it right. If you make a mistake, we'll show you how to do it better. And we'll never send you away."

Harry looked into Jethro's eyes to see if he was lying. Somehow, he felt certain that the man in front of him was telling him the truth. Harry's face took on a look of determination that Jethro would expect to see on the face of a Marine leading men up a hill and not on an almost five-year old. "Then I be her brudder and keep her safe."

Jethro Gibbs gave the only response he could. He softly said to his new son, "Ooh-Rah!"

* * *

Jethro and Shannon were led into the Leaky Cauldron by Sirius Black. Jethro was still in his dress uniform as they had come directly there from 4 Privet Drive. Having met Harry, Jethro and Shannon were determined to take custody as soon as possible.

Petunia had begged to watch Kelly while they handled the paperwork. While she had been a less than ideal parent for Harry – who reminded her of her dead sister – both Shannon and Jethro could see that she was instantly in love with the little girl. As Petunia WAS family and they were told it wouldn't be more than a few hours, they had relented.

Harry had promised to watch out for her until they came back.

The couple looked around the room with some mild shock. This did not seem like a likely place for the entrance into a magical alley. The pub's inhabitants were also a bit odd. Sirius led them up the back stairs. They had been told that there was someone he wanted them to meet.

Sirius knocked on the door and a man opened the door and motioned them to come in.

Jethro looked at Sirius. "A relative of Harry's?" he asked quietly.

Sirius looked at Jethro, to the man, and then back. "Kind of." Sirius looked almost amused.

The man interjected before Sirius could say more. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs. It's nice to meet you. In this place, my name is Gary Seven."

Jethro looked at the man. Something about this guy made him confused. "This place?"

Gary chuckled ruefully. "Well, it's a name I've often used. My birth name confuses some people and some situations."

Jethro had served as an MP at one time and so had no qualms about asking the hard questions. "And just what is your birth name."

The man looked at him and said, "My name is Harry James Potter. I am a dimensional traveler."

Shannon gasped. Jethro looked searchingly at the man and said, "Tell me."

For the next hour, Gary explained his circumstances and gave some details of his life growing up. He explained his entrance into this world and what made this universe different than his own. He told them about what he had found and what he had prevented.

Jethro Gibbs was not impressed by Albus Dumbledore. Neither was Shannon.

He explained the steps he had taken and some of what little Harry's future could hold.

The Gibbs were not impressed with the British magical world. They, however, were very impressed with their new son's dimensional alternate.

Finally Jethro asked, "So what do you think we should do?"

Gary looked at the couple. "Raise him well. Teach him to think for himself. Teach him to be himself. And give him a solid base. The British magical world won't let him go until he's old enough to make his own decisions. I can't imagine them allowing Harry to go to school elsewhere when he turns eleven. So learn the laws and use Sirius here to help keep him safe and get him ready."

Jethro Gibbs looked at his wife and saw that she was both nervous and determined: Two emotions that he also felt. In that moment, Jethro Gibbs dedicated himself to preparing his son for a sometimes hostile world. He also dedicated himself to giving his son a childhood that this man never had.

He looked back at Gary and said, "We'll do it."

Gary stood. "Thank you. With your help, maybe Harry can bring this crazy world into the present instead of being stuck in the past." He turned to Sirius, who had also stood. "And Sirius? You can teach him to have fun, but you have to let Jethro and Shannon teach him limits. A prank isn't funny if its seen as bullying."

Sirius sighed. "Alright. Spoil my fun and all that." He smiled ruefully.

Gary grinned. "I'm sure that he can have _some_ fun."

Jethro and Shannon were a bit nervous and resolved to keep an eye on Sirius and Harry together.

Gary turned back. "It was lovely to meet you and I wish you good luck."

Shannon and Jethro had also stood. "Thank you," Shannon said.

Jethro looked at the man who kept faith with his ideals through very trying circumstances. "Good luck to you as well."

Gary nodded. "Semper Fi, Sergeant Gibbs."

Jethro nodded and said definitively, "Semper Fi."

Gary turned and suddenly his body had compressed down to a small ball of light. It moved off and disappeared and everyone could hear the haunting tones of phoenix song as it did so.

Jethro thought that it was a remarkably good version of the Marine Hymn


	7. Moving Out

Sirius led the couple back downstairs and had a quiet word with Tom. The man nodded and said, "It's the way he is."

After Sirius rejoined them, Shannon asked, "If he's from … where he said … than how does can that man know how he is?"

Sirius gave a quick bark-like laugh as he led the two toward the Diagon Alley entrance. "There is a legend in the wizarding world about him. Most kids grow up hearing the story. Tom's family has a history – helped them out a couple of centuries ago. The goblins have records of him too." Sirius' face took on a much more solemn look. "The legend doesn't paint a pretty picture for him, but every witch and wizard knows that he's a good man."

Jethro and Shannon looked at each other and could see that both wanted more information when there was a chance.

Sirius became much more cheerful as he led the two to a blank wall. Sirius paused for dramatic effect and then tapped his wand in a particular pattern. "Welcome to Diagon Alley!"

The couple was in a bit of overload upon viewing the obviously magical shopping district. Neither acted like country hicks visiting the city for the first time but both were quietly amazed at some of the things they saw.

Sirius kept up a constant chatter explaining the various shops and related magical subjects. Finally Sirius pointed to a large white building. "And that's Gringotts Bank. They handle the gold as well as providing several legal services having to do with inheritance." Sirius stopped and looked at the two who had stopped with him. "A word of warning: Goblins are efficient, ruthless, utterly without mercy to thieves, very mercenary, and absolutely not to be trifled with. Don't assign human values to them – they would be insulted. They have no compunction about taking advantage of idiots and are sticklers about exactly following contracts. Don't sign anything without reading it in full."

The two Gibbs' nodded and Sirius moved to lead the two inside.

Jethro noticed that the door was guarded by armed guards. A goblin stood next to the doors wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold. Something about the goblin's stance screamed "soldier" to Gibbs – even if the goblin looked to be a doorman.

Disregarding Sirius' comment about not assigning human values, Jethro Gibbs was a Marine. He gave the one gesture of respect he felt would be recognized: As soon as he reached within six paces of the guard, Jethro gave a crisp salute and held it. The guard didn't even pause as he returned the salute and opened the door.

Sirius looked curiously at Jethro but didn't say anything. Once they had passed the hatch, the passageway they entered showed a much grander appearance. There were two guards protecting the inner doors. Jethro repeated his earlier gesture and received two return salutes from these guards as well. He took off his cover even as he walked through the door.

The inside of the bank was both familiar and alien. Instead of cubicles, there was a long counter which hosted about a hundred goblins doing various things. Some were weighing coins, some were filling in ledgers, and still others were inspecting gems and other items using loupes. Many doors were placed around the hall and various goblins led people in and out of the doors.

There were very few free tellers but Sirius led the couple to one of these. "Sirius Black regarding the Potters' Will. I have brought the last of those named."

The goblin looked piercingly at the man and woman with the wizard. The man was in a uniform that he was unfamiliar with but he recognized it from tomes he had studied. The man returned his look calmly and unflinchingly – a sure sign that his deduction was most likely correct. The woman looked somewhat nervous but not unduly so. Finally he said, "Wait here."

The goblin dropped down and disappeared into the back. The two non-magicals looked around. Gibbs noticed a blond man in obviously expensive clothes in front of a goblin who was making a few notes in a ledger. The man was looking at him and his wife with a noticeable sneer.

While he really wanted to walk over and punch the man, he knew that he was currently on foreign soil in more ways than one and he was certain that he'd cause an international incident doing such a thing while in uniform. Having been given permission to wear it even though this was a personal matter, he had been admonished by the State Department representative that he'd have to keep his cool.

British magicals were provincial and easily offended. Jethro had been warned that maintaining his bearing was vital – regardless of provocation.

So Gibbs did the only thing he could. He turned so that he was fully facing the man and gave him the Marine stare – one which caused most who faced it to increase their fight or flight response. In this case, the man's sneer disappeared into a mildly nervous look which quickly morphed into a blank look. The man turned back toward the counter, trying to look casual. Gibbs wanted to chuckle.

He heard his wife behind him quietly ask, "Who is that anyway?"

Sirius snorted contemptuously and replied, "A bigot I'm unfortunately related to through marriage. I'll tell you about him later."

Suddenly they were interrupted by a voice, "Follow me." Gibbs turned and saw that the teller had returned.

The three followed the goblin through a door and down a corridor. Jethro quietly remarked, "I hope I didn't waste your time."

The teller had a mildly amused look as he replied, "In this one instance those few moments were quite worth it. Some wizards," Jethro could hear the mild sneer in the goblin's voice, "would do well to learn that some dogs bite."

Sirius' bark-like laugh implied that there was no insult. His follow up statement increased the amusement on the goblin's face. "Well, Lucius Malfoy is notoriously thick when it comes to learning. Perhaps being bit would be a better lesson."

The goblin led them to a door and they were ushered inside. The teller left.

There was a different goblin in front of them looking through a few pieces of parchment. The goblin looked up. "You are Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Shannon Gibbs nee Evanston?"

"Yes, Sir."

The goblin gave him a look and then looked at Sirius. "You are Sirius Black?"

"Yes."

"Sit down, please." Neither Jethro nor Shannon took the brusque tone personally.

The goblin took out three sheets and placed them on the table. He placed a dagger on the table as well. "These will act as identification. Place a drop of blood on the parchment in front of you." He looked at Gibbs and said, "You may use your own knife if you wish."

Sirius looked at Jethro Gibbs with some surprise. He hadn't seen a knife. Shannon rolled her eyes. Jethro reached inside of his dress uniform and pulled a hidden knife while looking at the goblin in front of him. After using his knife to nick his finger, he placed a drop on the parchment and was surprised when the small cut disappeared. He also noticed that the blood on the knife also disappeared. "Neat trick."

The goblin said, "A function of this type of parchment. It removes the possibility of accidental contamination." Jethro nodded and handed the knife to his wife. While Shannon used the knife much more cautiously Gibbs asked curiously, "How did you know I had a knife?"

The goblin looked at him blankly and said, "Your uniform marks you as a warrior. Of course you had a knife." Gibbs nodded and took his knife back, noting that Sirius had also completed this step with the dagger the goblin provided.

The goblin looked at the three pieces of parchment even as names and lines appeared. Very soon the goblin nodded and pulled out a stack of parchments. "We have a number of things to cover and documents which must be signed and filed."

The next hour was spent in reading and signing various parchments having to do with taking custody of Harry James Jethro Potter. Shannon and Jethro agreed to represent him in the nonmagical world and Sirius agreed to represent him in the magical world.

Shannon adopted him as her son but Jethro was already recognized as a lineal ancestor. Magically, he wasn't Harry's father (the Blood Adoption negated that) but something more like a grandfather in status. Regardless, Jethro recognized Harry as his heir which was the magical equivalent of becoming his father (again).

Jethro was adamant about nonmagical adoption papers also being completed and filed.

Finally, all the legal steps had been taken. Jethro and Shannon had originally resisted the stipend for Harry's care – but Sirius' laugh and the explanation that the amount wouldn't even make a small dent in his inheritance finally quelled them.

Sirius had also gotten a magical passport and visa to go to the United States. He was planning on buying a house as close as possible to the Gibbs and helping keep an eye on him.

It helped that the State Department representative had approved Sirius to be hired on an as-needed basis to consult for the various government agencies when they had to research or deal with magical Britain. Sirius lack of loyalty toward the status quo due to his background and his illegal incarceration was viewed as a positive.

The magical portion of the United States Government had long wished for someone who truly understood Pureblood society but who also was willing to give accurate information instead of a whitewash when they truly needed perspective.

That Sirius was legally the Heir of a Noble House also meant they had an in when it was necessary. Arcturus had been apathetic enough to not forbid Sirius' new path.

* * *

Jethro, Shannon, and Sirius pulled up to 4 Privet Drive. They had called ahead and, according to Petunia, everything was fine. They all noticed the car that had parked in the drive.

The three knocked on the door and Petunia quickly opened it. "Come in. Vernon came home and helped get everything ready."

The group moved in and found Vernon Dursley holding Kelly, who was napping. He looked remarkably awkward for someone who had already had one child and raised another. Harry sat on the couch keeping a careful eye on his new sister. Next to him, two suitcases that appeared to be brand new sat.

Vernon looked up and saw the visitors. He helplessly looked at his wife because he couldn't get up without using his arms and his arms were currently full. Petunia rushed over and relieved him of the child.

Harry looked over and his face lit up when he saw who it was. He jumped up and stood in front of his new father and mother. "I watcheded her and keep her safe!"

"Good job, son." Harry beamed.

Vernon had stood and finally said, "Hello, Sergeant. My name is Vernon." Vernon reached out his hand.

Although Jethro didn't necessarily like the man – based on what he had been told – he respected that he had given his son a home. And so he returned the handshake. "It's Staff Sergeant. But as our wives are apparently cousins you can call me by name."

Vernon nodded. "So is everything taken care of?"

Sirius said, "Yes. By 5:00, legal custody will be passed over the Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs."

Vernon was awkward as he stood there. "Eh. Okay. Well – is there something for us to sign? I, er, need to look it over too."

Gibbs nodded. At least the man wasn't totally useless. "Let's sit down. I have it here." Gibbs raised a packet of parchment.

The Dursleys were soon sitting and reading the papers. Shannon had reclaimed her daughter, and Harry sat between his new father and Padfoot. Jethro reached over and gently pulled him against his side. A shy smile took over Harry's face.

Petunia soon began signing her name and passing each sheet over to Vernon for his signature as well. Shannon and Jethro then signed each one. Sirius gathered them.

Once the four parents had signed, Sirius took out a quill which looked quite different than the ones the Gibbs had seen in the bank. "Ignore the blood – it's temporary but necessary."

The four watched in fascination as Sirius signed as witness. All four could see the scratches forming on the back of his hand. Being the only magical present and the Heir of a major house, his witnessing signature in blood was deemed enough.

When he signed the last page, the sheaf glowed, rolled up, and disappeared with a pop. Petunia gasped. Vernon looked like he had been hit in the gut. Sirius said, "That's how it gets filed. We'll get something back …"

Just then a stack replaced the one that had disappeared. "Here it is! Signed, witnessed, and sealed!"

Sirius passed out two of the three copies to the couples and kept one himself. He shrunk it and put it in his pocket.

The adults all stood. "Let's get his things loaded up and then we'll finish it," Vernon said.

Vernon moved to grab the suitcases, waving Jethro off. Sirius said, "I could shrink those, you know."

Jethro looked at Sirius and said, "I think we can manage doing it the regular way."

Vernon nodded in approval. He already liked the man. He respected strength and a good work ethic. Whatever else could be said, America put out good soldiers.

Vernon refused to allow Sirius to help take the cases he was carrying. "By god, I'll not shirk my responsibilities. My job now is to get him properly set up with a proper family. Let me do this last part of my job."

Sirius almost believed that Vernon was somewhat emotional to see Harry go, as surprising as that seemed to him.

The two men returned inside and it was now time. Petunia called up the steps, "Duddikens! Come and say goodbye to your cousin!"

The large boy walked down the steps. Petunia took his shoulder. "Harry is going away to America. It's time to say goodbye."

Dudley looked at his mother in confusion and then shrugged. "Bye!" he said and waved.

"Bye, Dud." Dudley then moved back upstairs to watch his television.

Jethro REALLY didn't like Dudley and privately was thankful that Harry was getting away from this.

Vernon looked down at Harry and said, "Good luck, boy. Work hard. And watch your new sister." He had been very surprisingly impressed with his nephew when he had come home and saw how protective the boy was toward the girl Petunia was watching.

Harry once again took on his most determined look and said, "I keep her safe!" Jethro ruffled Harry's hair in affection. Harry looked both confused and happy all at once.

Petunia paused as she looked at the reminder of her dead sister. At the last, it was difficult to let go. "Goodbye, Harry. I hope you enjoy your new home and your new parents." She paused again. "Write to me sometime and let me know how you're doing."

Harry nodded. "K, Aunt Tuney."

Petunia almost embraced him but turned away to go back to the kitchen.

The three members of the Gibbs family and Sirius Black left 4 Privet Drive and made their way to the car. Shannon let her husband take care of Kelly as she led Harry by his hand to the car. Jethro strapped Kelly into the car seat that the rental company provided for toddlers.

Shannon looked at Sirius and said, "You ride in front with my husband. I'm sitting with Harry." Both men could see that she was upset – the lack of physical affection for such a small boy from his guardians had upset her. Sirius quietly agreed.

Harry looked at Shannon with some trepidation after she gently put him in the car next to Kelly's seat. She got in right after. As Jethro pulled away from the kerb, Shannon turned to Harry and said, "Well, if I'm now your Mom, let's get to know each other. What do you like to do for fun?"

By the time they got to their hotel, Harry was sitting fully ensconced in her lap sleeping as she held him as only a mother could.

* * *

The next few days were spent taking Harry and Kelly around London looking at the sights. Sirius had retrieved his friend Remus and Harry was overjoyed to see his first Dad's friend again.

Harry had also got to spend time with Kelly. She had started to learn how to walk better and took to getting up to move toward the fascinating person who was almost her size. After the first time he saw her fall (as most toddlers do when they start walking), Harry was terrified that she would hurt herself and so took to meeting her halfway when she would slowly stand and toddle toward him.

Kelly was having quite a lot of fun with her new brother. Harry was learning not to get too scared when Kelly would suddenly appear walking toward him.

Harry was also learning that it was okay to say his legs were tired. Unlike his Aunt Tuney and Uncle Vern'n, the parent who wasn't currently holding Kelly would easily pick him up and carry him. He spent most of the visit to the zoo happily being carried either in his Mum's arms or on his Dad's shoulders.

He really liked how high he got when he was on his Dad's shoulders. Sirius and Remus were almost as good but his Dad was taller.

Finally, it was time for the family to head back across the pond. Sirius and Remus would travel via the Ministry of Magic. Harry went with Shannon, Kelly, and Jethro on the plane.

He was remarkably excited about the idea of traveling through the air.

Halfway through the flight home, the stewardess had come through a second time for refreshments. She made a particular effort to treat the kids like young adults. With a smile she asked, "And what would you like, Sir?"

Harry, who had been watching the clouds move below them, looked up with his excited eyes and asked, "Can you make it go faster?"

Jethro Gibbs had a very hard time stifling his laugh. Shannon just looked at her son and said (under her breath), "Boys!"


	8. Moving In, Settling Down

Staff Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs led his family to the Customs desk at WashingtonDullesInternationalAirport.

There were several steps necessary to finalize Harry's entry into the US. He had been warned that there was a mild confundus charm on Harry's passport which would cause anyone who read it to accept it as valid. He had verified that this was legal before accepting.

Jethro was privately thankful for the use of Gringotts to get things filed – civilians would have taken forever. Jethro had used a payphone to call one of the Marines he worked with – he had driven their car to the airport to drop them off and had promised to pick them up.

So, they were standing at the pickup area. Harry was full of energy – he had long since woken from his nap from the final hour of the flight. He had never seen so many people and he was surprised it was still light outside (he didn't understand time zones yet). Suddenly, he heard a horn. He looked around and saw a strange sight – there were a row of cars pulling up: One regular car in the middle, a big green and brown car in front, and two more big ones after.

He heard his new Mum mutter, "Marines." She didn't sound mad though. His dad called over to the man who got out of the regular car and said, "Lance Corporal Dawson. What's all this?"

The man was smiling as he came forward. "Staff Sergeant Gibbs! This is the welcome home detail! We were just getting off duty when your call came. The Colonel gave us a few hours to get you home and settled." He turned and grinned at his mum. "Welcome home, Mrs. Gibbs. Welcome home, Kelly." He turned his head and said, "Welcome to the United States, Little Gibbs!" There were several calls of welcome from the other men who had poured out of the big vehicles.

His dad was smiling at the men. He said loudly, "His name is Harry." He looked around. "Won't the Motor Pool be missing these?"

The grinning man said, "Colonel gave permission for that too. As long as we get 'em back by 10:00, we're in the clear." He had stepped back after unlocking the trunk of the car. Harry was watching as the men who all dressed the same quickly picked the cases Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vern'n had put his stuff in as well as the ones his mum and dad had brought too. They were quickly put in the car.

The grinning man was soon standing in front of Dad. The other men all stoop upright in a row behind the man. "Luggage secured, Staff Sergeant! Informal reservation has been secured at Bob's Big Boy for the Detail and the Principals!"

His dad looked at the man and said, "Excellent, Lance Corporal. Fall out to the motorcade."

The man called back and said, "Fall out!"

His dad raised his hand. "My key, Lance Corporal."

The man had already raised his hands and quickly passed the key over. He then moved aside. One of the other men had the front door of the car open. Two others were standing next to the back doors. He heard his Dad quietly say to his Mum, "I guess we're eating out for dinner."

His Mum said, "You think, Jethro?"

His Dad took him around and put him in the back seat and clipped him into the seat belt. His Mum was putting Kelly into a car seat on the other side. As soon as his Dad stepped back, the man next to the door closed it and rushed to one of the other cars.

His dad opened his own door and got into the driver's seat – which was on the wrong side of the car! His Mum finished with Kelly and the man closed the door and followed the man who opened his door. His Mum got in and the last man closed the door.

That man and the original man who had brought the car moved to the car in front. Harry was confused but didn't know if he should ask.

His mum saw his face and said, "Harry? You have a question?"

He saw his dad looking at him through the mirror. "Why they open doors like that?"

His dad sounded like he wanted to laugh. "They wanted to make sure you were safely inside before moving out."

He was still confused. "Why no man open your door?"

His dad did laugh at that. "Because I work for a living and can protect myself. They knew I didn't want one of them to do it for me."

Harry's confusion reduced, but he would think about this on occasion when reminded of it for one reason or another.

Harry watched as the cars behind and in front flashed their lights. Then they were moving. Harry was a bit scared when they seemed to be driving on the wrong side, but all of the other cars were driving doing the same.

"Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"Why cars on wrong side?"

His dad looked over to his Mum and she answered, "Because here at home, it's the right way. In England they drive on the other side."

"Oh. Okay."

His Mum looked back and her face was serious. "That means you have to be careful when you cross the street to look the right way for cars. But we'll teach you. Okay, Harry?"

"Ok, Mum!" He was smiling. His mum and dad were much more willing to explain things than his aunt and uncle.

The dinner at the place they stopped was fun. He loved French fries! And he got to help cut Kelly's dinner. For some reason, she seemed to be much more willing to eat the little bits he gave her than the one's Mum did. She seemed to think it was a good game.

The other men, the Marines who came with them, were fun to eat with too. They told stories about his dad and asked him questions and listened to him about 4 Privet Drive and his cousin and his aunt and uncle. They didn't seem to like those stories as much as when he told them about visiting the zoo and 'seums and the big clock with his new family.

He started to try to learn all of their names. His dad told him, "If you ever need help and one of these guys are around, tell 'em and they'll help you." That was proven to be true when Mikey (Lance Corporal Dawson) was allowed to walk him to the bathroom. (He didn't need help, but Dad didn't want him wandering off alone in a strange place.) Mikey was still there when he came out.

"Wash your hands, Harry?"

He raised them up and nodded. "Aunt Tuney said always wash when I use the loo."

"Excellent. But we don't call it the loo here. In America we say 'bathroom." Mikey grinned. "Marines like your dad and us call it the 'head'."

Harry was a little confused. "Why it called head?"

Mikey shrugged. "Cause that's what it's called on a ship. Sometimes thing have weird names and we just have to accept it."

"Okay, Mikey."

Mikey ruffled his hair, just like his dad tended to do. Instead of taking offense, he took it as a sign of family. He liked Mikey.

After they finished eating, everyone got back into the cars and, after a stop at a store, they continued on until they pulled in front of a house.

Unlike Privet Drive, none of the houses looked the same. Instead of neat rows of flower beds and every lawn exactly the same, the houses and yards were all different! Some houses were white just like Privet but not many. Some looked to be made of red blocks and some were painted brown and green and yellow. One was painted blue!

Harry liked it much better than Privet Drive.

His dad hunkered down in front of him. "Welcome to your new home, Harry. This is where we all live."

Harry looked up at the house. He was a little nervous but he was happy.

The Marines had, once again, grabbed the luggage from the car. His dad grabbed the thing he had bought at the store.

Jethro looked at the men who had come to welcome his new son. The men he served with were close. He motioned them to come inside. Harry was being looked after by Shannon as the men actually took the bags upstairs and put them in the hallway.

When they came back down he called out, "Okay, Marines. One only for each of you – you're on duty tomorrow." Harry wandered over as he handed out the beer he had bought to each of the men. They all thanked him and made there way to the dining room.

Harry asked, "What that?"

Leroy hunkered down. "Well, its beer. Something for adults which they like – especially Marines. I got it to say thank you to them for welcoming us home. An important lesson you learn as a Marine, Harry: Always take care of your men."

Harry nodded.

Soon, each of the men had finished their beers and they all piled out to go back to base. Harry stood on the porch with his dad and mum and sister (she was holding on to him to stay up) and waved as they drove off.

As soon as they were gone his dad said, "Well, let's show you around."

Harry liked everything he was shown. He wasn't shown the basement – his dad said that would be for the next day – but he was shown the back yard, the kitchen (and where easy snacks could be taken from whenever he was hungry), the living room, the dining room, and then they moved upstairs.

He was shown where his mum and dad slept. "If you get scared and need us, you can always knock on the door to get us." That was very strange – Uncle Vern'n and Aunt Tuney didn't like to be woken.

"And this is Kelly's room." Harry watched as Mum got Kelly ready for bed. Kelly wouldn't let him leave until he had kissed her goodnight, just like Mum and Dad.

His mum said, "This is the bathroom. If the door's closed, knock before you come in."

And finally they were in front of the last door. "And this, Harry, is your room." The door opened and Harry was amazed. It didn't have much, but it had a bed, a dresser, a table and lamp, and some shelves. There were even a few toys already on them.

"Let's get you ready for bed, son." His dad helped him change into pajamas that had been in his suitcase. He was then helped into the bed. His mum and dad were about to say something when suddenly the milk he had with his burger made itself known. "I need to use the head."

His dad grinned down at him but his mum looked at his dad with a little irritation. He didn't know why. Dad helped him down and he went to the bathroom. He heard his mum say, "You've already corrupted him!"

He heard his dad laugh a little.

Soon he had finished and came back and once again got into bed. His dad and mum sat next to him on his bed and Mum brushed his hair back. "Tomorrow, we'll take you around and start showing you the neighborhood. And your Uncles Sirius and Remus should be here by then too."

"K, Mum."

She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "Love you, Harry."

His dad followed and did the same. "Love you, Harry."

He smiled at his new family. "Love you, mum. Love you, Dad. Love Kelly, too." He fell asleep basking in the love he hadn't ever felt before.

* * *

Harry was dreaming about the plane. Instead of being a passenger though, he was in the front of the plane steering it. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong and woke up. He listened and caught something coming from down the hall. He got out of bed and moved in front of Kelly's door and slowly opened it. She was whimpering in her sleep!

Being a bit scared, he moved to quickly knock on Dad and Mum's door. He didn't want to be loud, but he really wanted help. So first he knocked lightly. Very soon his dad was opening the door. He had shorts on, but nothing else.

"Need something, Harry?" Dad asked quietly.

"Kelly's making noises in her sleep." He tried to be just as quiet as his Dad.

Jethro moved to Kelly's room and heard what Harry had heard: Kelly was whimpering a little in her sleep. He, of course, recognized this. He said quietly, "Thanks, Harry. She needs a new diaper. That's what she does when she's used her diaper and hasn't woken up yet."

Harry nodded. His dad turned on the light and moved to gently wake Kelly up. He watched as Dad helped Kelly with her diaper and then put her back to bed. Kelly sounded much happier. Soon Dad moved back to the door and quietly closed it. He looked down, "Good catch, Harry. If you hear Kelly making those noises, do what you just did: Quietly knock and wait a minute. If we don't open the door, knock a little louder."

Harry nodded. "K."

"Let's get you back to bed."

Jethro led Harry back to his bedroom and tucked him in again. He quietly closed the door and made his way back to his own room and quietly got back into bed.

Shannon sleepily asked, "What was it?"

"Kelly needed changing. Harry heard her before she woke up and started crying. They're both back in bed."

"Ok." Shannon drifted back to sleep. Parents with small children quickly learned to fall back asleep – otherwise they'd never get any.

Jethro decided that this was much less stressful than waking up to his daughter's wailing. He fell back asleep thinking he'd have to reward Harry somehow for it.

* * *

Jethro Gibbs woke up at 05:00. Normally, this was because he was due on base by 06:00 but he was currently on leave and had twenty days to go. Still, he needed to put in some PT – it wouldn't do to arrive back at duty slow and sluggish.

So, he carefully got out of bed and dressed in his PT uniform. He quietly made his way downstairs to set up the coffee for when he got back. Suddenly, he noticed a small noise and turned to find Harry standing in front of him wide awake.

"Isn't it a bit early for you?"

Harry looked a bit unsure but answered, "I just woked up."

"Well that's 'woke up,' but still doesn't answer the question. It's 05:00. A bit early for kids to be awake."

Harry shrugged. "Feels later."

Gibbs thought about it and then realized, "I forgot. It's 08:00 for you."

Harry looked confused. "Ut?"

Gibbs grabbed a pencil and an apple and sat down at the table next to Harry.

"So, this apple is the Earth. This pencil is the sunlight that hits the Earth. When the Earth turns, the sunlight moves like this." He turned the apple and Harry saw the pencil move across it. "So, even when it's before sunrise here near Washington, (he pointed to a spot that the pencil hadn't hit, "it's already up in Little Whinging." He pointed to a spot the pencil had already passed. "It just means you're used to already being awake now."

"K." Harry thought about it and then asked, "But why you awake?"

Jethro smiled and said, "I need to go out and exercise to keep my strength up for my job. I don't want to get slow and flabby."

Harry made a face. "Like Dudey and Uncle Vern'n."

Jethro grinned. "Right."

Harry looked up at his Dad. "Can I come?"

He was about to say no, but then thought about it. The odd man had said Harry would have to get ready to live in a harsh world. Getting used to staying in shape might be a good idea. "Well, let's see if you have the right clothes first."

Harry quickly jumped down and rushed upstairs, Jethro following. "Man, that kid is fast for his age," he said to himself.

By the time he got to Harry's room, Harry already had his suitcases open. Jethro hunkered down. "Now, we need something that's not too tight." He moved through the clothes and found a t-shirt which seemed bigger than the others. "Put this on."

Harry quickly took off his pajamas and pulled on the shirt. "It Dudey's shirt he too big for. Aunt Tuney said I grow into it."

Jethro shrugged. "Well, it's good for exercise." He continued through and found a very small pair of shorts. "Put these on too."

Harry quickly pulled on the shorts. They were just about right. "And some clean socks." He handed these to Harry. "Clean socks are important. Always make sure you have some – even if you have to wash them by hand the night before."

Harry had a little trouble but with a little help got them on. Jethro also helped with Harry's small trainers.

"Okay. Let's go into the back yard."

Harry cheerfully followed his Dad back down the stairs and into the back yard.

"Okay. First we're going to stretch our bodies to make sure we don't hurt ourselves later. Watch me first!"

Harry carefully watched as his Dad performed a series of moves to stretch out his body. Soon, he started copying. After moving through the stretches one more time Jethro said, "Okay. We're going to start with jumping jacks. Watch how I do them."

Jethro once again demonstrated, but slowly. He didn't want to push Harry too fast. "Okay, you try."

Harry's four-year-old body wasn't coordinated enough to do them to Marine standards, but he did pretty well. Soon, Gibbs started doing his own. He would have done the squats between the jumps but he didn't want to have Harry do that too – and he guessed that Harry would.

Soon Harry started slowing down but that was okay. "Okay. Stop jumping for now. I'm going to jump a bit more but you just rest."

Harry watched as his dad continued doing the exercise for a few more minutes. "196 … 197 … 198 … 199 and … 200." He stopped. He looked at Harry. "Normally I do more – but today I want to ease back into it."

He got down and said, "Okay, lay down like me."

Harry watched and got down just like his dad. "Now, I'm going to hold my body straight but lift up with my arms. This is called a 'push-up' and Drill Instructors like to make us Marines do a lot of these."

He demonstrated a picture-perfect Marine Corps pushup – without the call-out after each one because his neighbors were most likely still asleep.

Once he did about ten of these he stopped and moved next to Harry. "Now, at first I want you to do it slow. I'm going to help a bit because this is hard when you start."

He carefully moved Harry's feet together and his hands in the right position. "Now, push up and keep your body as straight as possible."

Harry, remarkably, did a passable job on the first two. When he let his body sag a bit on the third, Jethro tapped his stomach, "Keep it straight, son." Harry visibly straightened his body. He could only do two more.

"Okay. We'll work on those. You can help me out with mine."

Harry was a bit disappointed but was eager to do as his dad asked. "I'm going to do more, but I don't have a pack to wear here at home – which my Drill Instructor always made me wear when I did pushups. So you're going to sit on my back and help me by being my pack. Okay?"

Harry moved to sit on his dad's back. "Put your legs under you." Jethro almost snorted. He wasn't a horse! As soon as he felt Harry sitting on his back he said, "Do you know how to count?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Okay. I want you to count out loud – but not too loud – each time I've got you up. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Okay. Here we go."

Harry dutifully counted "1. 2. 3. 4. 5. …"

Jethro concentrated on Harry's counting to see how high he could go. He was a little surprised when Harry knew his twenties. But Harry started flagging on the thirties. Jethro started helping him – even though he had to be careful to not breath too hard. He decided to stop at forty.

"Okay, Harry. You can move off." Harry got off and Jethro sat up. "Excellent job counting. I'm going to teach you higher numbers soon so you can count even farther."

Harry smiled at this, his happy smile which came out whenever Jethro explained something to him.

He stood up and Harry followed. "We're going to do some double-time marching – civilians call it jogging or running. But real running is much faster. This is a bit faster than walking." They moved to the front of the house and Jethro showed him the steps. "Left, Right, Left, Right. That's regular marching. This is double-time." This was a bit faster. "Let's start off slower."

Soon Jethro got Harry moving his feet at the right time and he gradually sped up – telling Harry when he would. Harry couldn't hold it long, but for a kid he did really well.

"Okay. You're going to be my pack again. Climb up." Jethro got down until harry was in a piggy back position. "Ready?" He felt Harry nod. Jethro took off and started jogging around the block carrying Harry.

Harry was remarkably quiet but when he glanced back he could see his smile. When they had made it around the block and were a few houses down from home, Gibbs stopped. "Okay. We're going to drop back to a regular march to cool down." He set Harry down and got him once again marching – as well as a four year old could.

Jethro decided that PT with Harry was more effective than he would have expected.

Shannon was up, cooking breakfast, watching Kelly, and drinking her own cup of coffee when they came in. "Where were you two?"

Jethro said, "Harry's still used to England time and woke up early. He wanted to come with me for PT." He grinned at his wife. "He makes a remarkably effective pack."

Shannon wanted to roll her eyes but she could see how happy Harry looked to be. "Well, that's good then. But drink some water." She grabbed a glass and filled it and put it on the table. She filled another for her husband. "Water first, then clean, then you can have coffee."

Jethro and Harry dutifully drank the water provided and then climbed the stairs. "Okay. We're going to get clean. If you work hard enough to sweat, it's a good idea to take a bath or shower afterword – your Mom will like it much better if we're not stinky."

Harry giggled. Jethro grabbed two towels and some underwear for himself and Harry and then took him into the bathroom.

"Strip off. We're going to shower together today so I show you how to do it right. If you clean by yourself, take a bath instead, okay?"

Harry nodded happily. "K!"

Harry and Jethro stripped off. "Okay. First, we're going to make sure the water isn't too hot." He liked really hot showers but didn't think Harry would be comfortable with that. "I'm going to show you how to turn on the water and check it."

He turned the hot water on and then the cold a little. "Okay. Just move your hand like this to see how hot it is." He demonstrated moving his hand in and out of the stream quickly. "If it's too hot and you hold it there, it'll burn and we don't want that."

Harry dutifully did exactly as was demonstrated. "How is it?"

Harry thought for a second and said, "More hot."

Jethro agreed, "Okay. More hot – hotter – it is." He helped Harry turn the cold down a little. "Okay. Check it again."

Harry did it and then smiled. "It good." Jethro checked and nodded in agreement.

"Okay. I'm going to show you how to do it and I want you to watch."

Jethro performed his normal shower, explaining what he was doing. He paid particular attention to show Harry exactly how to clean everywhere – he didn't think that Vernon or Petunia would have properly taught him.

Harry was fascinated by the lesson. There were definitely things that his dad explained that his aunt and uncle never did.

"Okay. You ready to try it?" Harry was a bit nervous. The idea of water always falling was scary. Seeing this Jethro asked, "How about if I hold you this time?" Harry agreed. Jethro carefully picked Harry up and took him into the shower.

He was happy that he had agreed with Shannon's request to have both a shower and a tub. Jethro liked a true shower but a baby needed a bath. Shannon had asked when Kelly was still 6 months from being born. It had cost a bit of money and time, but it was now paying dividends.

"Okay. Wet your hair first. So, close your eyes." Harry scrunched his eyes closed and Jethro carefully let the water fall on Harry's head. The steps continued on until they reached below the waist.

"Okay. I'm going to have you stand by yourself but below the water." Harry dutifully nodded and allowed himself to be set down. He looked up and saw the water was traveling over his head and hitting his dad.

"Now, I want you to do what I showed you for your private area. You shouldn't let anyone else touch you there unless it's a Doctor or Nurse in their office or your mom or me if you need help. If anyone ever tries to touch you there without permission, I want you to scream as loud as you can and run away. Got it?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Sir!" He paused and then said, "Ooh-rah!" Harry wanted to try it out the things the Marines had said the night before and this was his first chance.

"Ooh-Rah! That's my little Marine!" Jethro was tickled pink.

Harry happily did exactly as his dad had demonstrated. He then finished up by continuing on and thoroughly cleaning his feet. His dad had explained that feet were very important!

When he was done he looked up to see if he did it right. "Excellent! Now we turn off the water and dry ourselves with the towels."

Harry was shown where to step and where not to step when he was wet. Soon, they were both dressed in their underwear and moving toward Harry's room. Harry easily picked out his own clothes and Jethro left to get dressed himself.

They were very cheerful as they made their way downstairs. By this time, Shannon had the food all ready for them to eat and a large mug of coffee for Jethro, and a glass of water for Harry. "We're going to need to go shopping today. It's lucky I remembered to take the bacon from the freezer last night and we still had some eggs. We need some milk and other things to replace what we can't use anymore."

"Okay." They all sat down and ate breakfast together. Once again, Harry had the easiest time getting Kelly to eat the dried cereal instead of throwing it.

Shannon just shook her head. "You're really good at that, Harry. She just wants to play with her food when we feed her. I wonder why that is."

Harry shrugged but didn't take it badly because his mum was smiling as she said it.

Soon, breakfast was finished and Jethro and Harry cleaned up while Kelly got ready herself. Just as they were finishing up, there was a knock on the door.

Jethro moved to answer and found Sirius and Remus on the porch. He invited them inside. When Harry saw who it was he called out, "Padfoot! Moony!" Kelly giggled as well. She liked the two men who played with her and Harry just a few days before.

"Hello, pup!" He finished hugging Harry to make room for Remus. He moved to Kelly and wiggled his finger against her hand. "Hello, Princess!" Kelly just giggled again.

Harry had a grand time telling the two about the plane and the Marines and his room and the jumping jacks and pushups and marching. The two looked curiously at Jethro when that came up.

Jethro gave a small smile and then shrugged. "He woke up when I did to do some physical training and wanted to come along."

The two Marauders chuckled. Remus said, "He's already ahead of most of the kids back in Britain. Most grow up lazy because of the culture."

"Yeah. That's not gonna happen." Jethro had a definite glint in his eye when he said that.

Sirius asked, "Where's Shannon?"

"Getting dressed. She'll be down in a minute. We were going to make plans when she did."

Remus amused himself by playing with Kelly – who had no trouble with that. Sirius talked with Harry and Jethro. Shannon soon arrived at the door of the kitchen.

"I think I'm seeing the British Invasion!"

All heads turned and Harry called out, "Mum! Padfoot and Moony here!"

"I see that. Are you all washed up?"

Harry nodded. She sat down and said, "Okay. So what do we need to do?"

Over the next several days, several things were accomplished. Harry was fully registered as Jethro's dependant with the Marines, Sirius and Remus found a house for sale close to Harry, and the financial papers had been fully filed with the Gibbs' bank.

Jethro and Shannon had a small shock when they first visited with the paperwork from Gringotts. The teller had called the manager and he looked it over. Suddenly, the manager – already fairly polite – had immediately become much more solicitous.

"The funds, of course, shall be immediately available."

Jethro was a bit suspicious. "Doesn't it usually take a days or weeks for overseas deposits to clear?"

"Yes. Normally that is true. But the issuing bank has a … certain reputation. As soon as I verified the papers were authentic, different criteria were applied to the account."

"I see." Jethro privately was impressed. Banks were notorious for being sticklers for normal procedures.

The manager completed all of the steps. "Now, Mr. Gibbs. Would you be perhaps be interested in getting a Gold American Express card? I can push through an application quite quickly."

"No. Thank you. I think we're good." Jethro was about to get up when he saw his wife's face. "Can you excuse us? My wife needs to talk to me."

As soon as the manager moved away Shannon said, "I do think a card is a good idea. I'd rather not carry around a lot of cash and a lot of places taking American Express. It's not a credit card so we won't be running up huge debts."

His wife was quite sensible with money and had been just as reluctant to accept the stipend for Harry so he knew it wasn't about that. She also wasn't the type to covet unnecessary status. As a Marine, he didn't run into many problems with places accepting checks and he didn't have any worries about carrying cash - but Shannon was a civilian. Finally he said, "Okay."

Jethro motioned the manager over. "My wife has convinced me that an American Express card would be a good choice."

"Very good. In this instance, we shall pay the bill each month. We will, of course, send statements so that you may track your expenditures. Within a very short time, I am certain you shall qualify for the more exclusive Platinum card they began issuing last year."

Jethro sighed. "I'm certain the Gold Card is fine. We don't need anything more." The banker was disappointed but accepted it.

The banker would later be further disappointed when the expected increase in spending and fees that most people who had Gold cards fell into never happened. His bank made a small profit but not enough to push for them to get the Platinum card when the couple qualified.

All in all, most of the steps neccessary for Harry to become fully a part of their lives were either 1) quite enjoyable, 2) very easy, and/or 3) things that they could take quite well.

One thing that the couple did NOT take as well was the visit from Albus Dumbledore. That had been quite the annoyance.


	9. Dumbledore and Other Annoying People

AN Warning: Scenes of a disturbing nature included in this: Attempted attacks against children. There is nothing too graphic.

* * *

It had been a full week. Since they had gotten home from England, most of their waking hours had been spent getting Harry integrated into their life. Harry, luckily, was extremely willing. There were absolutely no signs that he was opposed to it at all.

It was early morning and the family was once again eating breakfast. There was a knock on the door.

Jethro, coffee mug in hand, moved to open the door. "Sirius! What brings you here this early?" Jethro moved to allow him inside.

"Remember when our visitor mentioned Albus Dumbledore?"

Jethro quickly thought back and then nodded. "Yeah. A guy who has no clue about working well with others, no skills at delegating, and keeps far too much intel from his people."

Sirius blinked and then grinned. "You DO remember! Anyway, we need to talk because he wants to visit you."

Jethro's face took on a hard look. "About what?"

Sirius sighed. "Wards that he can place. He wants to make sure Harry's protected."

Jethro looked at him and said, "After breakfast we'll talk. Come in and say hello."

Sirius eagerly followed the Marine into the kitchen. When Harry saw who came in he called, "Padfoot!"

"Hey, pup! How is my favorite boy today?" Sirius asked.

"I so happy! Dad ask the Marines to come and have barbeque! I never had barbeque. Dad said he's gonna cook food on a fire and he's gonna let me help start it. You gonna come and have barbeque? Can Moony come too?" Harry still fluctuated between an exaggerated child-speak that he had used to avoid looking smarter than Dudley – Dudley didn't like Harry being smarter and would hit him – and something that was closer to what it should have been.

Jethro had quite a time getting Harry to admit it after he had noticed the different speech patterns. Now it was mostly getting him out of the habit.

Sirius looked at Jethro who nodded his head slightly. "Sure, pup! It sounds wonderful. I'll find out of Moony can come too."

Harry happily went back to finishing his meal and helping to feed Kelly. Kelly had reduced her "playing with food" tendencies but still had a tendency to allow feeding time to become play time with her parents. Just eating the food provided was the game she played with Harry.

Soon, Harry was playing with some of the toys that his new parents had bought him and Kelly was put in her playpen.

Sirius was soon sitting in the kitchen talking to the couple.

"I got a message from Dumbledore yesterday. He had wards set up when he lived with his Aunt which protected him and the family from certain threats." Sirius started to explain.

"What are wards?" Shannon thought she knew – but wanted to be sure. "It doesn't involve some weird rituals with us dancing around naked around a fire does it?"

Sirius looked at her and guffawed. "Where did you hear that?"

"Superstitious people have been doing weird things for 'magical protection' since the Ancient Greeks. I did read about them in one of my college classes." Shannon didn't like to be laughed at.

Sirius paused and then thought about it. "Now that you mention it – that might have been an old method. Huh, I'll have to look that up." He shook his head to clear his mind and then continued on. "No, there are protection magics – true magic – that can be placed around a home to prevent different types of harm. Nothing so arcane – as far as I know. I can't imagine Petunia and Vernon Dursley ever being involved in something like that, so I don't think it's necessary."

All three chuckled at the idea of the Dursleys doing anything so … different.

Before Sirius could continue, Jethro interjected, "Is Dumbledore an expert or something?"

Sirius shrugged. "He's been around for over a century and is widely considered one of the most powerful wizards in the world. I could just imagine him knowing more than most."

"But is he trained?"

Sirius looked at Jethro helplessly. "I don't know."

Jethro sat back. "Well, before I allow him to come in and do something which might affect my family, I want a real expert to verify. I don't care how good he is – there's a reason why a unit has specially trained people to handle unusual duties. And if this guy is a member of the UK government, he's got to get official permission through the State Department to come visit. I won't be involved with covert actions – the Marine Corps doesn't look kindly on Marines with clandestine relationships with foreign powers – no matter how friendly." Truthfully, he just wanted to put up as many roadblocks as possible.

Sirius could see the man's point. "I'll message him back to get a real list – and I won't accept a whitewash. I'll let you know."

Jethro nodded. "Now, the barbeque is tomorrow at 2:00. You don't have to bring anything but non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages would be acceptable."

* * *

The Marines from Gibbs' unit arrived for the 2:00 barbeque at 1:45 – they were Marines and knew what being "on time" meant. Honestly, they were quite happy to get a pass off base. Normally, they would be on standby even in not on duty and would be required to stay close to base but they had traded with the other squad.

With the President out of town, their normal duty stations weren't as necessary and negotiation with the base commander was far easier than it normally would have been. The Commander, having been briefed on the nature of Gibbs new son and his history, also considered that time spent with the family was a good use of resources.

One of his Senior NCOs with a VIP for a child was a new experience for the man. He was still working out the permutations of the situation.

The men made their way up the driveway to the backyard. One called out, "Knock, Knock!"

Jethro turned and saw the men. He waved them to come in the yard and went back to turning the steaks over. Harry, who had been watching his dad cook, looked over and saw who was there. "Mikey!"

Shannon, who was putting the potato salad in the cooler, looked over and saw her son rushing over to the visitors. Soon they made their way in.

"Well, Lance Corporal, it appears you've made a friend." Shannon was amused.

"Yes, Ma'am. And I'm off duty so it's Mikey." Mikey was currently walking with Harry standing on his foot and with Harry's hands grasped together over his arm.

"Okay, Mikey. I'm off duty too, so it's Shannon," she replied with a smile.

Lance Corporal Michael Dawson smiled ruefully. "Yes, Ma'am."

She rolled her eyes and made her way back inside to get more food.

Jethro would never admonish a Marine to be less than completely respectful toward his wife, so he only smiled upon hearing the exchange.

Finally, the Lance Corporal made his way to the barbeque. "Staff Sergeant! Welcome Detail reporting as requested!" He laughed and said, "Lance Corporal Dawson is unable to come to attention – he's got a passenger."

Jethro looked at his son who was still on the man's foot being carried around and smiled. "That's alright. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. That cooler has beer, that cooler has pop, that cooler has some drink which Harry's godfather brought: Very low amount of alcohol, not enough to worry about – even Harry had one."

The object of his dad's comment called out, "Butterbeer's great!"

"Well, Harry, why don't I have one of those then?"

Harry jumped off his leg and let go of his arm to rush over to grab one and bring it back. "Here, Mikey! It's good!"

The barbeque was a success. The members of the Welcome Detail got to hear many stories of what Harry had been doing all week and especially enjoyed Harry's stories of PT with the Staff Sergeant. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were introduced and a good time was had by all.

* * *

Albus arrived using the provided portkey. He looked around and saw a man standing there. "Hello there, young man. I am Albus Wulfric Brian Percivel Dumbledore, Headmaster of HogwartsSchool of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Order of Merlin, First Class. And you are?"

"Lee Jameson, US State Department. Welcome to the United Stated of America. I will escort you to meet with Staff Sergeant Gibbs."

"Very well. Lead on."

"Umm, not quite yet. We need to do something about your wardrobe first."

Albus was taken aback, "My wardrobe?"

Lee Jameson sighed. "We don't wear robes in the US, not even the magicals. It would draw too much attention. We need to get you into a suit which will blend in."

"Ahh! Very well. How about this?" Albus Dumbledore transfigured his blue robe into a suit which would be more appropriate for 1940s London than 1980s America. He looked at Jameson.

Jameson paused. "Er. Not quite. May I have permission to cast it?"

Albus nodded. "Very well." He cancelled the transfiguration.

Lee Jameson cast his own spell and Albus Dumbeldore was now dressed in a very professional looking modern suit that would look appropriate on a federal agent. He hair was tied in a neat ponytail. No one in Britain would even recognize him – except for his beard. Jameson directed Albus to look in the full length mirror to the side of the room.

He looked down, considering his current dress. He then moved his arms and legs to check his movement. "Quite nice. A bit more movement than most suits I have worn."

"Yes. And check inside your coat." Albus did so and noticed that he was wearing a curious set of straps. "A holster for your wand. It's charmed to look like a gun holster – something common enough with that suit that no mundane would even think twice about it if they noticed."

Albus shrugged and put his wand away. He really looked good in this!

"You wouldn't happen to have your Order of Merlin handy would you?"

Albus was curious. "I could get it retrieved quickly. Is it necessary?"

Jameson paused. "It might help in this case. Staff Sergeant Gibbs is a Marine – and they respect certain things."

Albus nodded. He called for Fawkes and, through a message to his Deputy and his permission for her to retrieve it, Fawkes returned quite quickly. Albus looked at the Order of Merlin medal in memory.

"Wear it under the jacket but over your tie." Albus did as asked and soon was ready. "I have a car ready to take us."

They were soon on their way. Albus quite enjoyed the ride – it was far more comfortable than most Ministry cars. They soon arrived at a quaint home in a muggle neighborhood.

The two men made their way up to the door and knocked. They were ushered inside by Shannon Gibbs. "This way, please."

They entered the living room to find Leroy Jethro Gibbs in full uniform as well as a goblin. Shannon moved to stand next to her husband.

Jethro looked at the State Department agent with curious eyes. Jameson quietly said, "Magical equivalent of the Victoria Cross or the George Cross – they aren't separate awards there."

Gibbs might not be looking forward to talking to this man but some things required a response. He snapped to attention and gave Albus a full salute.

Having experienced this in the past, Albus quietly returned the salute.

They all sat down after introductions were made.

Albus started. "I wasn't quite prepared to made the subject we must discuss quite so well known. The matters we must discuss must remain confidential for Harry's safety."

Jethro replied, "Well, I have certain limitations due to the nature of my service. And I don't know enough to not consult with an expert." He nodded at the goblin. "That's why Ironjaw is here."

Albus sighed. "Very well. As long as this is as little known as possible. Harry faces a number of threats which must be protected against."

Albus then laid out the wards and enchantments he wanted to place. At one point, Jethro got very angry – which no one but his wife (and the goblin) noticed. She interrupted the explanation. "Jethro? Can you explain the problem?"

"Of what possible use would there be to allow my home to be monitored from 3500 miles away? I'm all for keeping my family safe – but I won't allow such an invasion of our privacy!"

Albus really tried to convince the couple of the necessity, but Jethro was adamantine: Any wards placed would be monitored within a distance which was useful by someone he approved of.

Albus tried again. "Harry is really very important to magical Britain! He is a symbol of hope when defeat was all but assured. The average witch or wizard of Britain considers him our saviour. The dark elements would like nothing more than to see him destroyed. It is incumbent upon me to ensure that he kept safe and healthy."

Jethro looked at Albus. "My son is a five-year old boy. Hell, he isn't even five yet. I really object to placing the weight of the world on his shoulders!"

Albus looked sadly at the man. "I agree. That was one reason that I wanted to ensure that he was raised away from magical Britain. I did not want to see him bandied about for something that his mother and father accomplished. I did not want to see him raised with a sense of entitlement or spoiled. I did not want to see his spirit crushed by unrealistic expectations."

Albus paused then and then said, "And yet, I knew – and still know – that Harry still had a major obstacle. The man who tried to kill him disappeared – but he isn't gone. He must be prepared to face perhaps the greatest challenge that could be envisioned. And he must be prepared to deal with the responsibilities and vicissitudes of his position within our society."

Jethro calmly looked at the man in front of him. "Harry now has a family. He will not be spoiled and he will not spoiled. I will get him ready for the life he will face. You can be certain about that. But I will not be hounded nor allow Harry to be either." He paused. "You've never been in the military, have you?"

Albus considered the man before him. "No, I have not."

Jethro nodded. "Excuse me for a moment." Jethro stood and moved out of the room. He soon returned. He showed the book he had to Lee Jameson. "You have any problem with me giving him this?"

Lee Jameson really had to hide his laugh. "No, it might be educational. There's nothing there which is classified."

Jethro nodded. He dropped the book in front of Albus Dumbledore. "Read this. You'll get an idea of exactly what I'm about and what values I hold."

Albus took the book curiously. He read the title: The Marine Corps Manual.

"Make sure you read the chapter on Military Leadership – there might be something you could use."

Albus shrugged and shrunk the book to put it in one of his pockets. He then looked at the man before him. "So, where do we go from here?"

In the end, the protections were placed and monitors were set up through a special office in the State Department – Harry's dual citizenship was effectively a quadruple citizenship and certain concessions were made: American citizen, American magical citizen, British citizen, and British magical citizen.

Albus was allowed one monitor only: A monitor which showed Harry's health. His location and other details were considered too much of an invasion of his family's rights to allow.

Gringotts United States ensured that there were no negative effects allowed as regards the family. They also ensured that no interference with standard military needs occurred – the head of house was a US Marine after all.

Jethro was happy to see the man leave. He really wasn't looking forward to sending Harry to Hogwarts in a few years but acknowledged the necessity – James and Lily had requested it in their will.

* * *

Life went on. Harry learned to be part of a loving family and his father spent much time and effort teaching him basic values and leadership skills.

That isn't to say that there weren't several instances which qualified as major in the minds of Shannon and Jethro Gibbs. Early in 1986, Harry was attending a local kindergarten. One day he came home distracted. When his mum asked, he would only say, "I need to talk to Dad."

When Jethro got home, Harry went to him.

"Dad? I messed up."

Jethro looked at Harry. "How did you mess up?"

"Well, when I first came here you told me to do something and I failed." Harry looked mildly embarrassed.

Jethro sat down and got Harry to sit across from him. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Jethro was soon horrified but hid it well – he didn't want to scare his son.

"Today during class, I had to visit the head. The teacher allowed me to go. When I was inside a stall, an older boy pushed his way in and tried to reach down my pants. I was so startled that I didn't do anything except stare at him. He looked scared and ran out." Harry looked down. "You told me that if someone tried to touch me there I should scream. I forgot to scream. I also couldn't run away because he was in the way."

Jethro had to calm himself down before he said anything. "Did you tell anyone?"

Harry shrugged. "Well … no. Nothing really happened. I was more surprised than anything."

"Could you describe the boy who did it?"

"Umm. Maybe. It didn't really last that long but I did get a good look at him."

Jethro was quite unhappy. Someone had tried to molest his son and he wanted to kill someone. "I almost wish there were cameras in the school so that I could see his face."

Harry thought about it. "Well, Sirius showed me things that he remembered with my first Mum and Dad. Could we use the same thing to show you?"

Jethro looked startled. "Outstanding suggestion. Stay here."

Jethro moved to the phone and quickly dialed a number. "Hello."

"Remus! Is Sisius there?"

"Well, he's actually out on a date. Do you need something?"

Jethro growled. "Something happened with Harry at school. He said that Sirius had something that would show memories."

There was a pause at the other end. Remus Lupin's voice was harsh as he said, "We'll be right over. Give us a few minutes."

Within a very short amount of time, the two men were arriving. Both were surprised that Harry greeted them so cheerfully. They calmed down to wait for the explanation.

Soon, the four adults were in the room with Harry. Kelly was in her room. Sirius said, "Okay, Harry. Your Dad said something happened today at school. I want you to think about it as hard as you can. I'm going to use my wand to catch the memory. Okay?"

Harry nodded. He scrunched his eyes and thought about the incident. Sirius took his wand and gently removed the memory. "Okay. That's got it. Can you go in the other room and drink some water? Your mum, dad, Remus and I are going to check this out. Is that okay?"

Shannon stood. "I don't want to see it right now. I'll get his water." She looked at her husband and he could see the fury she was hiding. "Take care of this, Jethro."

"Yes, Ma'am." Jethro was deadly serious.

The three men watched the memory. It was pretty much as Harry had described it. Harry had just pulled his pants up, flushed, and moved to open the stall door when a boy about 14 had forced himself in and tried to put his hand down Harry's pants.

Harry's expression gave no hit of fear as he stared his attacker down. The teenager took on look at his face, pulled his hand back like it had been burned, and rushed out like the hounds of hell were on his heels.

Jethro was torn between utter rage at the attacker and utter pride in his son. Harry showed absolutely no fear in the face of the enemy.

Finally, Harry and Shannon came back in. Jethro addressed him. "Well, we saw it. I'll get his face sketched and make sure that he gets caught." He paused and looked at Harry. "I'm proud of you for being brave and standing up for yourself, even if you didn't yell. But, next time, yell as loud as you can. I'm also going to teach you how to take down anyone who attacks you like that, okay?"

Harry nodded cheerfully. He loved when his father taught him things. "Okay, Dad!" He cheerfully went to get ready for dinner.

Shannon looked at her husband curiously. "Was it as bad as he said?"

Jethro smiled a bit. "Well, a teenager tried to attack him but Harry scared the piss out of him – faced him down like a Marine."

Within a few short days the teenager had been caught and was sent to a juvenile detention center – the sketch that Jethro made from the memory was very accurate. Harry promptly forgot about the incident.

However, it did lead to an incident two years later.

Seven-year old Harry was watching his four-year old sister in the front yard as she rode on her little bike with training wheels. Shannon, who had been watching as well, went inside to answer the phone.

A man that Harry had noticed nearby suddenly rushed over and tried to pick Kelly off the bike. Harry was livid.

As soon as the man moved toward Kelly, Harry moved as well. As soon as the man touched Kelly, Harry yelled as loud as he could, "LET GO OF MY SISTER!"

The man had not been prepared for this. He let go of the girl and turned toward the voice – just in time for Harry to put the lessons his dad had taught him into use: He headbutted the man in his private area as hard as he could.

Harry was at the age where accidental magic would be starting and so, perhaps, the headbutt carried a bit more force than would be expected from such a small child. The man passed out from the pain.

* * *

Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs broke many civilian driving statutes after he received a frantic call from his wife. He arrived to find two police cars and an ambulance in front of his house.

Sirius and Remus both had dark smiles as they watched the scene. Shannon was on the porch with the two children looking on. As soon as he saw his children, the tension he had been feeling started relaxing.

He rushed up and looked at his son. There was a police officer nearby. "Report!"

Harry was in the phase where he tried to be exactly like his Dad and the other Marines he knew. Harry snapped to attention.

"Sir! A man tried to take Kelly off of her bike after Mum went in the house to answer the phone! As soon as I saw him run toward her, I ran toward him and yelled at him to let her go! When he turned toward me, I hit him as hard as I could with my head! He dropped and I pulled Kelly inside to get her away! Mum had heard me and met me at the door! She called the police and you! Sir!" Harry paused and then looked up at his father nervously, "Did I do it right, Dad?"

He looked down and asked his daughter, "Is that what happened, sweet pea?"

Kelly nodded her head enthusiastically. "Da man twied to take me but Hawwy yelled at him and he let go! Harry keepted me safe!"

Jethro looked back at his son and said, "Outstanding, son!"

Harry's smile lit up his face. "Thank you, Sir!"

Jethro grinned down at Harry. "Ooh-rah!"

Harry yelled back, "Ooh-Rah!" He was beaming as he always did when he earned an Ooh-Rah from his Dad.

Jethro looked at his wife and saw that she had calmed down. He quietly asked, "How are you?"

Shannon took deep breath and gave a small smile. "Much better now that you're home. It scared the crap out of me."

Jethro nodded and reached for his wife to embrace her. It was obvious that she was the most scared out of all of them. She clung to him for a short time and then let go. She nodded in thanks – she really needed that.

Jethro turned to the Police Officer standing off to the side. "What's happening now?"

The officer smiled ruefully. "Well, the suspect is being looked at in the ambulance and might need to go to the hospital. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Your son must have a head made out of steel."

Jethro gave a quick smile. "Well, he IS the son of a Marine."

AN: I will likely put a chapter in this – after I've gotten further in my other stories. This seems like a good stopping point for now.

Also, the incident in the bathroom is realistic – and I can tell you that from personal experience. No, I wasn't traumatized – I scared the crap out of whoever it was and I really didn't understand until many years later when something caused me to remember it – it really was insignificant to me even as a five year old (as stupid as that sounds). That was over 38 years ago and so there's no need to comment on it. It just made a good plot device in this story.


	10. The Life of Marine and his Wife

Harry stood with his mother and sister at the airfield. Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been deployed, along with 1900 other US troops, to be a part of Operation Nimrod Dancer. He had taken the position of an MP but his training as a sniper was needed in the field.

His Duty station had been changed when the new President had been elected and put into office. Although why they changed personnel to inexperienced ones right when there was a changeover in office was something the Gibbs had commented on as being a bit silly – but only to his wife.

His deployment to Central America had been a "temporary" deployment. It had not been a pleasant separation from his family. Still, the life of a Marine meant that sometimes you don't get to choose where you serve.

The invasion of Panama had taken place on the 20th of December and with that, the family had known that Jethro would not be home by Christmas. They had been heartened when it was announced that Noriega had surrendered. When the action had ended at the end of January, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was one of the Marines who had been replaced and sent back home.

So, here they stood waiting for the man of the house to get home.

Suddenly, Harry saw the brown hair of his father that looked so close to his own. "Dad! Dad! Mum! There he is!"

Jethro had heard his son and immediately moved toward one of the voices he had missed so much. Upon seeing his children rushing toward him, he dropped his bag and hunkered down – he had to lower his center of gravity lest the missiles approaching him bowl him over.

With cries of "Dad" and "Daddy" (from Harry and Kelly respectively), his arms were suddenly filled with a nine-year old boy and seven-year old girl. He closed his eyes as he held the two close. He had missed them.

He looked up and saw that Shannon had followed more slowly. She was looking down at him smiling, tears in her eyes. He let go of the two (even though they hadn't let go of him) and stood up. He once again closed his eyes as he stood reunited with his family.

A newspaper reporter took a candid photograph of a US Marine standing there with his arms around his wife, his two children holding on to him as hard as they could.

* * *

Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs cheerfully reported for duty after the 60-day leave he got after having been effectively on-duty for nine months straight. Thank God for SLA.

It had allowed him to decompress and reconnect with his family. His children had grown and he regretted missing several milestones, especially their birthdays.

However, there was no loss of love. The kids knew the limitations he had as a Marine and respected them – even if they didn't like it.

He reported to the commanding Colonel.

"Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs, reporting as ordered, Sir!"

The Colonel in charge of the unit sighed. "At ease. How was your leave, Gunnery Sergeant?"

"Excellent, Sir!"

"That's good. Because it will be a while before you can do that again. You've been assigned a TAD."

"Sir?" Jethro was all of a sudden not as cheerful.

"There are some signs that there will be some trouble in the Middle East. They need some combat-experienced trainers at 29 Palms. And, unfortunately, your name came up."

Jethro was definitely not happy. "How long, Sir?"

"At least four weeks – possibly eight. And, if the worst case happens, you might be seeing combat again too soon. I recommend taking your family to Pendleton for the duration if possible. At least you can see them when you're not on duty."

"How long do I have to report, Sir?"

"One week to make arrangements and get there. Any questions, Gunny?"

Jethro snapped to attention. "No, Sir!"

"Dismissed."

The Colonel wasn't happy. He had already lost Gibbs for almost nine months for that mess in Panama. Now he might be losing him for a similar amount of time. The Colonel didn't like it.

* * *

Harry looked out of the window on the plane. His Mum (his friends made a bit of fun of him still saying Mum after having lived in the US for several years – but Mom didn't sound right to him) and his sister were in the same row. Kelly was coloring with some crayons and a book that Mum had brought on the plane with them. Mum was reading.

His Dad had gone to California a few days ago on a military transport. Uncle Sirius was going to come to California too – but he was busy with some meetings with some _civilian_ higher ups.

(Harry had unintentionally picked up the small amount of derision for "civilian authorities" that was often expressed by his father's unit members whenever their interference introduced complications into their normal routine. He also learned to be very careful about expressing it where his Mum could hear; she called it "condescension" or something like that. His Dad just tried to hide his laughter.)

He hoped that the school near Pendleton wasn't too different than the one near Quantico. As the child of a Marine, the necessity of being able to change schools when needed was annoying but acceptable to him. Offered a choice between not seeing his father for a month or two or changing schools, probably temporarily, he had been all for it. He would miss his friends though.

He still wouldn't see his father for five days out of the week – he'd be bunking at the training camp. But the weekends would be available usually.

He would miss the woodshop in the basement.

* * *

Shannon Gibbs looked at the clock on the dashboard and then peered through the rearview mirror at her two children who were arguing (in good humor) in the backseat. She was on her way to the base where the letters from her husband could be picked up.

He had been ordered into combat as part of Operation Desert Shield and, once again, she was effectively a single mother raising two rambunctious children.

She was looking forward to the move back home. It needed very little work because they had come to California knowing that it was temporary. She just didn't expect to be going back without Jethro.

Suddenly, she remembered that she needed to stop at a store.

"Kids?"

Harry and Kelly looked at her and Harry said, "Mum?"

"We're going to have to stop at a store and pick up some milk. Can you wait in the car?"

Harry and Kelly looked at each other and then at her. They both shrugged. "Okay, Mum." Kelly had picked up her brother's name for her. It still made her smile.

She pulled up to the parking lot of a small store near the base. It wasn't the best area but there were usually enough Marines around that she wasn't that worried. She turned to the children. "I'm going to lock the doors but leave the windows down just an inch. Now, what are the rules?"

Harry replied, "Stay in the car."

Kelly continued, "Don't unlock the door for strangers."

"Be alert."

"Scream loud if someone tries to get in the car."

Shannon nodded at the two and grinned. "Okay. Two minutes."

She would never know the difference that those few moments would make in her family's life. In another world, she would never leave her newly-eight year-old daughter in the car by herself and therefore would be quite visible to the man who was about to commit murder.

However, her ten-year old brother was very protective – and had demonstrated his uncanny skill and determination at keeping her safe more than once. As a result, she was much more comfortable about leaving them for two minutes. The time it took to list the rules made all the difference.

The two watched as Mum started to get out of the car. Suddenly she stopped. Harry was curious. "Mum?"

Shannon turned her head and hissed, "Shhh." Harry really didn't like the look on her face. Harry, with some anxiety, looked at what was happening at the front of the store.

A man in a Navy uniform was arguing with a man who looked ... suspicious. He got a very bad feeling. He looked at his sister and whispered harshly, "Get down!"

Kelly very much loved and trusted her brother. The only times he ever sounded like that was when something dangerous was around. She immediately curled down as much as she could (limited by the fact she was strapped into a seatbelt).

Shannon was suddenly very scared. The man in the civilian clothes had pulled a gun from his shirt. She needed no further encouragement – she had to get her kids to safety. She pulled the door closed quickly.

The noise from the slamming door was almost perfectly in time with the gunshot.

Shannon was never more thrilled than now to have learned tactical driving from her husband. When he had insisted that she learn, she had demanded a bribe. The two days at the bed and breakfast while Sirius and Remus watched the two kids had been very fun.

Now she was entirely thankful.

She hissed to the kids, "Stay down!" The two didn't need any more encouragement: They had heard the bullet hit the back of the car. Shannon had dropped her head as low as she could as she tore down the road toward the base entrance. She chanced a look – she was now too far for a gun to be accurately aimed and there was no sign of pursuit.

She turned her head toward Harry. "Call Sirius on your mirror, Code Violet." Jethro had refused to use "Code Red" – some urban legend about Marines that made it distasteful. "Tell him we'll be at Las Palmas security."

Harry nodded and did as his Mum asked.

* * *

Sirius was very agitated as he presented his credentials to the guard at the gate. His two pups were in danger along with their mum. Moony had had to calm him down before he created a Statute violation by apparating directly to the mirror location.

Remus was ensuring that the Gibbs' Pendleton house was cleared of all personal items. Sirius was retrieving the family and then intended to use every ounce of his pseudo-diplomatic authority to get the family back to Washington and under the wards set up there.

Finally the guard came back and waved to the Marine who controlled the gate. "Two clicks in and turn right. You can meet them there." The guard was much less menacing than he had been just a minute earlier – a Marine's family had come in just an hour ago having witnessed a murder and been shot at. The guards were taking no chances.

Sirius drove his very expensive car (he was rich and he could afford toys) toward the location that Shannon had given him.

He pulled up and noticed the Marines who were stationed in front of the small building. Instead of being in some ceremonial position, these two were standing as though they were expecting possible attack – very unusual so far into the base. Sirius was entirely grateful.

He noticed that the two were focused on his car until they saw that the man matched the description they were given. The rifles dropped very slightly to a more relaxed position. He walked up to them.

"Identification, please."

Sirius happily showed his ID. The guard looked at it carefully and then stepped aside. The other followed suit. Sirius nodded. As he passed the two he said quietly, "Excellent job, Marines. Thank you for protecting them."

The two nodded in acknowledgement and said, "You're welcome, Sir," even as they focused once again on the approaches.

As he entered, his eyes took a moment to adjust to the different levels of light. He knew he was in the right place when he heard two children's voices yell out, "Uncle Sirius!"

* * *

The NIS agent was confused. "Can I ask why two Special Unit FBI agents are protecting my witness?" He had been assigned to interview the witness for the murder of a young Lieutenant JG.

Instead of the FBI agent answering, the British man with them did. "My godson has dual US-British citizenship. Due to a number of factors, the State Department keeps an eye on him and ensures he's protected. These agents are attached to an FBI unit which deals with that specific part of the State Department and any issues involving law enforcement."

The NIS agent nodded, a bit annoyed. He really didn't like other agencies horning in on NIS business. One of the two FBI agents seemed to notice.

"Don't worry. Our unit is not looking for the recognition for handling this. We're just here to provide protection. That's all." For some reason, Agent Barston believed the man. Which was odd. He knew that the FBI had a talent for double-speak and grabbing jurisdiction.

"Okay then. Can you describe what you saw?"

Shannon gave a detailed description of exactly what she saw and what had subsequently occurred.

"Do you think you could describe the man?"

One of the agents interrupted. "We have a composite drawing which we're willing to certify as coming from a trained sketch artist." He handed the man the drawing.

The NIS agent looked at it – it had excellent detail. "When was this done? The shooting took place just a few hours ago."

"Due to a number of factors, our unit includes sketch artists which will provide detailed sketches to law enforcement units we come into contact with. The artists' credentials are on file with most agencies. We can provide documentation as necessary." They didn't mention that the sketch was done from a pensieve and not a verbal description.

The NIS agent nodded absently even as he studied the sketch. He looked up at the witness. "I intend to catch this guy as quick as possible. We'll need you for a line-up when he's caught. Where can you be contacted?"

Shannon answered, "We're going to stay with Sirius tonight. We were about to move back home to DC as my husband is deployed now in Saudi Arabia and no longer at 29 Palms. How long do we need to stay available?"

The NIS agent huffed as he considered it. "Can you give me up to four days? If we don't catch him by then, it's likely to be much longer. If we don't catch em quick, the likelihood of doing so drops very quickly."

Shannon nodded. "We can live with that." She turned to Sirius.

Sirius pulled a card out. "This is my phone and address in California and in DC. I have some relationships with a few agencies which means that security might be needed on occasion – like now. So call first."

The NIS agent nodded and then stood up. He reached out his hand to shake. Shannon Gibbs had a good grip for a woman.

"Thank you, Agent Barston. Now we have to get my kids home. I look forward to hearing from you very quickly."

Barston nodded. "We'll do all we can to catch the bas .. the man."

Shannon nodded and then moved out quickly. Bastron saw that there were two other agents that had been watching the two children and he casually wondered why so many agents were needed to protect such an ordinary family. He shrugged. As long as she testified, the details were unimportant.

He quickly made his way out of the office so that he could put out a BOLO.

* * *

The Prosecutor was surprised when the suspect's attorney contacted him. Pablo Hernandez had been caught just a week earlier after having (allegedly) murdered a US Navy lieutenant. He hadn't been looking forward to the protected legal maneuvers that would certainly be necessary to keep him in jail. The bail, while very large, was not out of the realm of possible – which had irked him quite a bit. He had actually been surprised when bail hadn't been immediately posted.

"Mr. Sampson. To what do I owe the pleasure of your voice?" He knew he had to maintain an image of confidence or the Cartel attorneys would eat him alive.

"My client is willing to negotiate a plea."

* * *

Shannon sat with Sirius as the two Aurors reported the results to them. Remus was watching the kids.

"Whenever a non-magical crime impinges on the magical world, our unit arranges for the suspect to be given a truth potion so that we can verify the suspect's guilt and how much of a threat they pose. Pablo Hernandez was guilty as sin and had no qualms about using illegal means to ensure that you couldn't testify."

Shannon didn't like the sound of that. "So, what happened?"

The Auror nodded. "You don't have to worry. In these circumstances, we are authorized by Statute to use compulsion charms which will cause the suspect to negotiate a deal to avoid prosecution just as any suspect might do if we weren't involved. Due to Fourth and Fifth Amendment considerations, we aren't allowed to use what we learn in non-magical courts or to use magic to attack them – we are only allowed to use as much magic as needed to ensure that the Statute of Secrecy is maintained. At the very worst, the suspect is encouraged to go somewhere that has no extradition treaty with the United States."

The Auror nodded. "In this case, it wasn't necessary. Pablo Hernandez negotiated a deal where he pled guilty to second degree murder in exchange for a lesser sentence. He was also 'encouraged' to forget about going after any witnesses. We'll monitor him for about a year to ensure that he doesn't overcome the compulsions and place a contract out, but it's likely that you'll never have to deal with this again."

Shannon took a shuddering breath in relief. She didn't need the stress of trying to protect her kids in addition to the normal worries of a Marine's wife.

* * *

A/N: I'd like to point out that according to NCIS wikea dot com Kelly and Shannon died on Feb 28 1991 – before Harry would have been sent to Hogwarts.

It would have been logical that Shannon would have witnessed the shooting during Operation Desert Shield which occurred beginning 2 August 1990 and the two murdered during Operation Desert Storm which ended 28 Feb 1991 – the day they died. The murderer was a Cartel member who was a Mexican national – which makes it logical that it occurred in California. The fact that they already had the house near DC was established by the episode where Kelly's friend contacts Gibbs for help.

So, my effort in this chapter was to establish

1) How Gibbs ended up deployed from 29 Palms in California (where desert warfare training is done);

2) Still had the house in DC; and,

3) Was moved from the Marine Brigade which includes those Marines used as part of Presidential protection (which I stuck in this fiction but wasn't NCIS canon).

This story is intended to go to the beginning of first year. Whether I do the logical follow ups depends on my finishing my other two alternate first year stories – I already have mixed up details accidentally and don't need another story to confuse me more.

I don't know how I'm going to get Gibbs home yet. But I'm working on it.


End file.
